


Static

by HappyKonny



Category: Septiplier - Fandom, Youtube RPF, youtube - Fandom
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Mental Institution, Gen, M/M, Most are sidecharacters, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-25
Updated: 2018-07-29
Packaged: 2018-10-24 01:19:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 23,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10731198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HappyKonny/pseuds/HappyKonny
Summary: After arriving at a new, bigger, Asylum, Jack is giddy to meet everyone there.He finds a person with fading dyed hair, staring at a TV, showing nothing but static.Something about him intrigued Jack, and he decided to get the other man to talk again.





	1. The new Asylum

Jack had just recently been transferred to the Moira Asylum. The circumstances as to why were not known to the man, though he seemed very giddy to get to a place with many new people and many new friends. He barely listened when the doctors talked to him and told him how to behave and who they were and all that "important" stuff. He wanted to go and explore! He wanted to have fun! Sadly, it was already late in the day, so once he got into his room, he was locked in.  
It wasn't much different from how his cell, room, had looked before. White walls that weren't cold to the touch, grey ceiling and floor -which _were_ cold to the touch- and a metal door with heavy locks and a small window. Jack had a metal-framed bed, a thin mattress with one pillow and a decent blanket, in the corner stood a light wooden stool. There wasn't anything else in the room, which wasn't really big enough to contain much more anyways. It wasn't small enough to make Jack feel trapped or claustrophobic, enough room to move around.

The journey here hadn't really tired him out, so even when he was locked in his room and the lights were out -except in the hallway- he stayed awake. He walked in circles and talked to himself, his hands moving while he talked very animated. No one seemed to care that he talked rather loudly to himself -his voice being clearly heard in the hall- and no one told him to go to sleep. So he stayed awake for hours, walking around his room, talking to himself, sometimes even laughing. When his feet finally felt tired and it got harder to keep his eyes open, he dropped on his bed and snuggled into the blanket. It was much better than the one he had before, which made him smile before falling asleep.

He awoke in the morning to his cell being unlocked. One of the guards -or nurses?- came inside with a fresh change of clothes for Jack. She introduced herself as "Marzia" with a smile and told Jack about the daily schedule, while he changed. In the mornings everyone's rooms would be unlocked and they were allowed to leave their rooms, going to other patient's rooms in the hall, able to go to the bathrooms and the sitting room. The dining hall, or cafeteria, was off-limits without being escorted, just as the showers and going to the lobby. Who didn't appear in the sitting room in time to go to the meals -three times a day- then they would miss it. Showering was mandatory, so every patient would be gathered to go on the scheduled days and time.  
Jack barely listened to Marzia, though she indulged in his talking of random questions that had nothing to do with what she was talking about -like how the weather was. So he kind of registered the most important things -about wandering allowed and food- and nodded. Marzia lead him from his room through the hall then, at the end on the left side were the toilets she motioned to in passing, while at the end was an open door to the sitting room, which they entered.

The room was big, with a handful of windows through which the sunlight got in. In the room was a bookshelf with a variety of books inside, there were tables with chairs, some of the tables had playing cards or paper and crayons laying on them. On the left end of the room was a TV on the wall, with two couches and two armchairs in a half-circle in front of it. On the wall where the door Jack and Marzia had emerged from, was a big window. It showed the room behind it -a desk directly under the window with a computer on it and other stuff, shelves in the background and doors to the left and right. The window had a circle of holes in it, in the middle, so that someone could speak through into the other room and be heard. A nurse was sitting inside at the desk.  
On the other side of the window was another door, which was closed. At the right end of the room was another door, which was open. In the corner on that side of the room was a piano, the keys hidden and Jack spotted a lock as well. Apparently not everyone was allowed to play. No one was in the room they were currently in, though Marzia lead Jack through the open door and through the next hallway. There was an intersection, Jack curiously glancing down the other halls, before quickly following Marzia again. At the end of the hall were big double doors, with small round windows. Jack heard chatter behind the doors, making him giddy and bounce on his heels. It made Marzia chuckle softly.

She lead him into the room, and his eyes widened in excitement. They were in the cafeteria now, were rows of tables were, the seats attached to them. At the other side of the room seemed to be the place where he could get food. Jack's eyes swept over the sea of people, all dressed just like him. Everyone wore white shirts -either a T-shirt or with long sleeves- and grey long pants. No one was allowed to wear shoes, so they either wore socks or were barefooted. Jack, on his part, had short sleeves and socks on, since the ground was a little too cold for his tastes.  
Marzia told him to behave, not start a fight, and then send him off with a soft push. Jack didn't have to be told twice, before he already excitedly skipped forwards, his gaze never staying in one place for long while going to get food. Everyone sat with everyone, people who seemed very excited and talkative sitting with people who seemed sad and not talking at all.  
Once Jack had gotten a tablet with some food and juice, he went to the next best table where he found a place to sit down. He immediately started chatting with everyone who was sitting close to him. Most of them didn't even notice he was new here and replied happily, sometimes they were talking over each other as well, since Jack seemed to never shut up. He did only to eat basically, which was when someone introduced themselves and caused everyone involved in the conversation to introduce themselves as well -Jack as well. This way Jack got to know Dan, Phil, Stephanie, Rebecca, Ro and some other's that stayed silent, but were introduced by the others.

Jack was barely finished with his breakfast, when a bell sounded. Jack looked around curiously, seeing everyone get up slowly and bring their tablets with dishes back where they got them, before going back to the doors. Some didn't bring their stuff back, and curious as Jack was, asked Ro about it. She told him that some of them easily forgot things and others didn't have the energy to do so. There were also some other reasons, though Ro couldn't explain them. Something to do with their conditions or something was all she could say. Jack nodded, walking happily along with her, bringing his dishes back.  
Afterwards, they went to the doors as well, which were open. Walking through the hall back to the sitting room, Jack spotted some guards and/or nurses standing near some doors and in the intersection. Jack didn't spot Marzia again, which made him sad for a second, before he smiled again. He couldn't wait to talk more to the other patients and get to know everyone! Sadly, not everyone stayed in the room, many leaving again for their rooms or to just go to the halls their rooms were in.

Jack started a conversation with the first person he saw, happily introducing himself and talking with the person, apparently called Link. The guy seemed to have an imaginary friend, or hallucination, which he called Rhett. Jack didn't mind at all, and happily included the not-there person in their conversation. They talked for a while, until Jack became distracted by other people talking. So he just stopped talking and went away, going to join a conversation at one of the tables. He had no idea what they were talking about, so he just talked about random things that came to his mind. None of the others seemed to mind though.  
When Jack got bored, he sat down at another table, where a woman and a teen -by the looks of it- sat at. The woman was obviously a nurse, while the girl was a patient. She seemed to be absorbed in her activity, which was drawing. Jack watched her curiously, eyeing the nurse then, before grabbing paper and crayons as well.

The nurse introduced herself to Jack as "Signe", and Jack had barely registered her talking to him. He looked up from his drawing and muttering to himself, to look up at her. He smiled and waved at her, forgetting to state his name before starting to talk. Between looking at his drawing and rambling senselessly, he looked up from time to time to Signe to direct words at her. The girl -shoulder long hair in a soft brown- never once looked up or seemed to notice anyone being there with her. When Jack asked about her, Signe told her that the girl, called Carla apparently, got easily absorbed into her fantasies and forgets her surroundings entirely. Jack nodded in response to that, going back to talking about everything he could think of, while drawing.  
He passed his time doing that for hours, Signe even leaving the girl with Jack alone for a while. It seemed like Carla didn't like to be alone, especially when coming back to reality. Some time during Signe's absence, the girl had even talked a little -her voice quiet and soft. Jack had tried talking to her, which partially succeeded. Responses came slow or sometimes she didn't hear him or forgot to answer, though Jack didn't mind at all. He was just glad to talk and have someone listen to him, even if only partly.

Eventually a male nurse came into the room calling for patients by their names. Jack didn't pay him any mind, until he heard his name being called. Standing up, he walked over with a bounce in his step, greeting the other man. He was blonde, with blue eyes and a beard. He looked like a fun guy, a smile on his face. He introduced himself as "Felix" and gave Jack a little plastic cup with pills in them. Jack took them with a swig of water -from a cup Felix offered- and had to show Felix that he had taken the pills. He didn't mind opening his mouth and letting Felix have a look, before going back to his drawings with a happy smile and wave to Felix.  
Jack sometimes looked up to Felix and watch the patients, and sometimes the green-head saw the nurse walk to a patient and talk to them quietly. It seemed like those people wouldn't get up when Felix called to them, or would call for them. The girl Jack was facing had to be talked to by Felix as well, since she was still absorbed in her drawing. She only looked up to the nurse when she was shaken softly, her name called while doing so.

Eventually Jack was finished with drawing, and he found a clock hanging over the window showing the nurses room, which told him the time. It was around eleven in the morning now, and Jack had gotten bored again. Looking around, Jack hummed to himself, swaying back and forth on his feet. He could wander around the two halls with rooms and look if anyone wanted to talk, but he would think he'd have better chances to do that here. He did spot that the TV was on, but it showed only static, so he wasn't interested in that. Instead Jack went to a table where a chair wasn't occupied and sat down, quickly getting pulled into conversation.  
Hours passed, before the bell rang again for lunchtime. Not everyone got up to go eat, though Jack spotted Ro, Dan and Phil again. The two guys were talking to each other quietly, but seemed happy, while Ro was walking alone. Jack could now see that the age range was rather wide of the patients. Most of the people here seemed to be close to his age, though he spotted someone he guessed was almost ten years older than him at least. But there were also younger people, like Carla, who didn't even look twenty. It seemed like there was a certain age-range though, since he was sure that there were older and younger people as well, somewhere in the building. It was a rather big asylum after all, so he wouldn't be surprised.

Lunch went by without anything interesting, Jack sitting with Dan and Phil upon spotting a seat open next to them. He talked happily to them, barely shutting up at all, which caused the two males to just talk to each other when they started to tune Jack out. He didn't mind though, Jack just loved to talk and he had a loud voice as well -people heard him talk if they wanted to or not. They did talk once lunch was over though, on their way back. They continued to talk when they arrived back in the sitting room as well, sitting down together on the ground somewhere and exchanging stories.  
Sometime later Rebecca and Carla joined them, though the youngest of them stayed relatively silent. She mostly just listened and smiled and giggled along with the others, which were all talking. Jack had fun, especially since the group reformed from time to time -someone leaving, someone new coming, someone coming back. Sometimes there was only Jack and one other person sitting and sometimes there were as many as six people there and talking.

That carried through the rest of the day, dinner came and went and as soon as the clock hit nine pm, everyone had to go back to their rooms. They wouldn't get locked in for another hour and a half, but they were told to be quiet and be in their room once it was time to sleep. Jack mostly stayed in his room though, wandering through the halls and looking into open doors. He talked to himself, though in the end he went back into his room and sat on his bed, talking animatedly with the air. He didn't even notice when the door got locked and he couldn't leave whenever he wanted anymore. In the end, he snuggled into his bed again and fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just had this idea randomly and needed to write this.  
> Anyone reading my other fics: I apologize if I don't update anything else, my motivation can get picky with what to write and what not, so I'm deeply sorry!  
> Other than that, I have something to propose to you, readers!  
> If you want, you can make a little OC for this fic, that may appear. Patient, nurse or even doctor if you want, though patients are mostly what I'd be interested in. Of course the focus is on Jack and Mark, but as you can see, OCs will definitely be mentioned.
> 
> If you wanna give me one in the comments, I only need to know a few things:  
> Name, age, short description of hair/eyes/skin/other special features, if long or short sleeves, socks or no, and their illnesses and behaviour. You don't need to give them an illness and name it, like I didn't give Jack nor will Mark be probably given one. Just behaviour if they prefer to stay in their room, about talking, reading, playing, TV, eating and such are really necessary.  
> I mean, OCs will probably not be that prominent in the story? It really depends on how I need them and what ideas I have. Maybe they will even get in the foreground a little sometimes, but I can't guarantee anything.
> 
> Updates will be irregular and of varying length. Dunno if I will finish this fic, sorry if I don't!


	2. The man who sees static

Jack missed breakfast. He barely woke up when a nurse looked into the room and told him it's time for breakfast, so he fell asleep easily again. When he woke up again, it was almost noon. He stretched out in his bed, yawning and rubbing his eyes. He sat up slowly, swinging his legs over the side of his bed then. He stared at his feet for a while, brows scrunched together. Wiggling his toes, he broke out into a grin and stood up. He ran a little on the spot, before leaving his room and happily making his way to the sitting room.  
Entering the room, he let his gaze sweep over the people inside. He could spot some familiar faces he had talked to before, but did notice that Dan and Phil weren't here. Ro was there reading a book though. And he spot the girl again, Carla, sitting at the same spot she did yesterday and drawing. She was talking to someone though, by the looks of it to herself. She looked happy. Curious, Jack walked over to her and sat down next to the girl.

"Hey Jack!", she greeted happily, smiling up to the older man. He smiled brightly back at her, waving a hand.  
"Top o' ta mornin' to ya!", he greeted, making the girl giggle. His accent wasn't that thick, but noticable. He had noticed that she had one as well, which he guessed to be German or something close to it.  
"Who yer talkin' to?", Jack asked then, curious. He tried not to go on and ramble off questions, which caused his energy to go into jiggling his legs and playing with the crayons in his hands.  
"Just to myself. I can think better when talking out loud!", Carla explained with a smile. "I was thinking about the next visit from my friend", she added then, looking back at her drawings. That caused Jack to look as well. She had drawn herself and her friend by the looks of it, as kind of stickfigures.  
"Yer a great drawer!", Jack exclaimed, smiling brightly at the girl. She looked up to him with wide eyes, like in disbelief.  
"Really? You think so?", she asked, seeing him nod with his smile. "I wish I had a pencil though, I can draw much better with them", she muttered and pouted slightly.  
"Maybe Signe can get you one! I'd love ta see more of yer drawings!", Jack said and Carla smiled in return, nodding softly.

Suddenly Jack's name was called, which caused him to look up and to the nurse, giving everyone their medicine. Jack was pretty sure he had come a little late to that, but apparently no one minded. He stood up and walked over, getting his pills he needed before being free to go again. Looking around, Jack saw the TV showing static again.  
"Does it always do that?", Jack asked the nurse, pointing at the TV with a confused gaze. The nurse looked towards the TV for a second, before back at Jack.  
"Usually. Some patients like it", was the answer Jack got, together with a shrug, before the nurse went back to work. Jack looked skeptical back to the TV, before walking over to the couches and armchairs. He could see someone sitting in the middle of the couch directly in front of the TV, so either someone was watching the static, or listened to it.  
Rounding the couch, Jack's eyes fell upon a man. He was sitting cross-legged on the couch, eyes glued to the screen. His hair was a little long and looked fluffy, the top of his head had been dyed a bright red, though it was already a little faded and the dark roots were already showing. His skin was slightly tan, his eyes a dark brown. There were slightly dark circles under his eyes as well.

"Hello there!", Jack greeted full of enthusiasm, standing next to the guy and looking down at him. He smiled brightly and waved at the guy, but he got no reaction.  
"'m Jackaroony! Nice ta meet'cha!", Jack continued, sitting down next to the other. He waited for a few seconds, but still got no answer. It made Jack frown a little, no one before had simply ignored him completely! He had least always got a glance.  
"Why yer watchin' static? 's'not very interesting", Jack asked, looking towards the TV himself. He stayed quiet for a while, still waiting for any kind of answer. When only silence met him, he looked back at the guy. He still stared intently at the screen, face expressionless.  
Huffing, Jack got up and walked back into the middle of the room. Looking around, he saw through the window Marzia sitting at the desk. With a determined grin, he walked over to the window and softly knocked at it, gaining the nurse's attention.

"Hi Jack", she greeted with a smile. Jack smiled back brightly, waving like always when he greeted someone.  
"Who's that guy starin' at tha static?", Jack asked immediately then, pointing towards said person. "He's not reaction ta anythin', not even sayin' hi! Jus' wanted ta be friendly an' talk a bit, but the guy ignored me a whole lot!", he informed Marzia, trying his best not to start rambling about it. At least not before he got an answer.  
"That's Mark. He's usually watching the static and doesn't speak to anyone. He doesn't mind usually if someone wants to watch TV though", Marzia answered, with a little smile. It seemed almost a little sad even.  
Jack nodded and turned away, starting to talk to himself. Like Carla, he spoke his thoughts out loud, while pacing around, walking in a circle. He was curious about Mark, why he watched the static, why he didn't react to anything, why he didn't speak with anyone. He really wanted to know what was going on with that guy, and he didn't even know why! Which frustrated Jack a little, he'd like to know why he was so interested. He wasn't that curious about anyone else after all. Maybe it was because Mark didn't show _any_ reaction, no glance, no facial expression, nothing.

Jack was interrupted in his rambling by the lunch-bell. He shut up for a moment, grumbling to himself, before turning to go to lunch. He met up with Dan and Phil again, which brightened his mood again. They talked to him at least! Sure, he sometimes talked over them while rambling, but he liked conversing with the two! And they seemed to like him, not really minding his loud voice or rambling.  
After lunch, Jack walked alone, swinging his arms and humming to himself with a bright smile. Once back in the sitting room, as one of the first, he noticed the TV still turned on. And he could spot Mark's head, exactly where it had been before lunch. Had he not gotten to eat? Jack furrowed his brows in thoughts, but shrugged it off eventually. Instead, he decided to look over the books and see if he could find something interesting to read.  
He did, eventually, and settled down on an armchair by the TV, and began reading aloud. He didn't like silent reading that much, and since over here was only Mark and the static, no one would mind. Mark at least showed no reaction again, so Jack read to his heart-content out loud to himself.

When Jack stopped reading to take a breather, he noticed that he had new company. A woman with long black hair and vivid green eyes. He eyed her for a whole, curious as to why she was here. So of course, he asked her, receiving the answer that she had listened to him read. He grinned back at her and fell into conversation with her, Kai was her name, and listened to her tell him stories of a world he had never heard of, but she was apparently queen in.  
The book forgotten, Jack and Kai told each other stories about anything they could imagine. It was very imaginary and when Carla overheard them, she joined in on listening and telling about her own worlds she had made up. The three of them had fun just talking with each other, the TV and its static in the background, with Mark sitting on the couch without a care in the world.

Time for dinner arrived sooner than expected, and the trio got up from the ground. They made their way to the door, still talking with each other happily. Jack did look back when he was quiet though, looking to see if Mark would come and get dinner, or if he'd stay on the couch.  
A nurse with rather dark skin was next to Mark, probably talking to him softly. She had turned off the TV, though Mark was still staring at it if Jack judged it correctly from only seeing from the back. He watched how the nurse took Mark by the hand with a smile and pulled him to his feet, guiding him with the rest of the patients. There were some others she also got up from where they were, to get them all to dinner.  
His attention was pulled back into the conversation he was having, and his thoughts quickly went from Mark to the topic at hand, going back to talking with his friends. They got their dinner together, sitting down and continuing to talk. It was mostly Jack now, rambling on and on about anything and everything, though no one minded.

On the way back to the sitting room, both Kai and Carla left and went to their rooms. Jack was left without conversation again then, though he spotted the nurse from earlier again. The one that had gotten Mark and some other patients up and to the cafeteria. Curious about her, Jack walked over, tapping on her shoulder.  
"Hello there", she greeted with a friendly smile. Jack smiled back, waving. She seemed like a nice woman, almost motherly even. Friendly eyes, medium/short black hair.  
"I'm Jack! 'ello there! Do ya always get tha people that don't go ta dinner? Why d'you do that? It's very nice of ya, it's bad to not eat anythin' for a while, 'specially when it's for so long! An' the food isn't even that bad, it's pretty good usually even, though 'm only here for a few days now so o' course I can't really judge anythin' yet, though the others here are really nice an' I made a lot of friends already, at least I would think so", Jack started to ramble, completely forgetting that he wanted to know something.  
The nurse chuckled softly, waiting for Jack to quiet down again. She didn't seem to mind that Jack was rambling and talking like a waterfall, before eventually falling silent again after a few minutes.  
"I'm Cora", she introduced herself then. "I try to take care of the patients that forget more than one meal. We want everyone to be healthy after all, and for that they need to eat at least twice a day", she explained with a kind smile.

Jack nodded in understanding. So when he were to forget a meal and would forget the next one as well, she would probably come and remind him! That sounded really nice, and he was glad that she did that. He sauntered off then, not interested in talking anymore. But he suddenly turned around again and went right back to Cora, remembering another question.  
"Mark ignores everything! How did ya get 'im?", he asked, luckily not going back into rambling, though he was barely able to stop himself. He had enough thoughts in his mind to start.  
"With the TV off, he usually is a little more responsive. I do have to take his hand and bring him along, reminding him multiple times where we're going. There are a few patients that need someone to get them to the cafeteria and give them their food", she explained to Jack, who nodded along. He could've guessed that Mark wasn't the only one like that, especially since Jack _had_ noticed that there were a handful of nurses always in the cafeteria and carrying trays around.

The evening went over quickly, and Jack decided to stay in his room and think. Well, he was talking loudly to himself again, walking in circles, but that was thinking for him. An hour after they got all locked in, he fell into bed and soon fell asleep.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll update this whenever I want, though not multiple times a day  
> Also OCs, yay! A lovely nurse and a lovely talking companion for Jackaboy!  
> Yeah, have nothing else to say, I think xD


	3. Seconds of Attention

The next morning, Jack woke up for breakfast. He was a ball of energy, with a determined glint in his eye. He had come to a decision the day before, and he was totally gonna act on it! He walked through the hallway with a broad smile and bouncy steps, going through the sitting room and to the cafeteria. He waved to familiar faces, greeting some nurses and friends he passed. Once he got his breakfast on a tray, he sat down with Dan and Phil, since he had spotted them sitting together already and he wanted to join his friends again. He hadn't really talked to them much the day before after all!  
Breakfast was soon over and everyone got back to the sitting room. To Jack's surprise, the chairs in the room had been arranged into a large circle. The patients seemed to know what this meant, already sitting down. Barely anyone didn't, only a handful of people going back to their rooms. Jack did spot Mark going to the couch again though, sitting down. The TV was off though, which made the green-head wonder if he still stared at it or not.

Jack sat down onto one of the chairs as well then though, looking around at the circle of patients. He saw Rebecca and Stephanie, Dan and Phil sat next to each other as well. There was also Carla of course, hugging a stuffed teddy close to herself with her gaze on the ground. And Kai was there as well, looking around. There were some more faces Jack recognized, had talked to before, considered friends. And then there was Felix, sitting with them in the circle with a grin.  
"Morning!", he greeted the patients with a friendly and kind smile. Most of the patients greeted back, some waving as well, or only so. A few not reacting.  
"I know it has been a while, but! We got some newer faces here that y'all maybe don't know yet! So, another introduction round!", Felix seemed enthusiastic, getting up from his seat and going around, handing everyone a clipboard with a marker. Upon inspecting it, on the clipboard was a paper with questions.  
"Go ahead broskis and write your answers, while I check if anyone else wants to join us", he said, leaving the group and going over to Mark. While Jack was interested to see if Felix would get Mark over, he also wanted to focus on his paper. So, he uncapped the marker and began scribbling on the page, happily humming while answering. His name, why he was here, how he was feeling, how safe he felt here.

Jack got ripped out of his thoughts when Felix announced that they should continue now. Looking up and around, Jack saw another person had joined the circle he didn't know, and Mark was there too, to his surprise. He was holding a clipboard and seemed to be drawing on a paper on it, rather than write anything. Jack watched the other for a while, before he once more got his attention drawn to Felix.  
"Who wants to start?", he asked, smile bright, looking around. No one seemed to want to start, so Jack raised his hand with a grin.  
"A volunteer! Go ahead!", Felix smiled happily and nodded at Jack, obviously glad that someone wanted to go first instead of letting him choose.  
"Top o' tha mornin' to y'all! 'm Jackaboy an' only been here for a few days. Don' even remember how I got into an institute in tha first place", Jack started, shrugging after his statement. He really didn't know anymore, though he knew he had gotten better.  
"Right now 'm feelin' pumped! Energized! Hope ta use my energy soon, or I'll explode!", he giggled, hands thrown into the air as if he had exploded. He was very animated while talking.  
"'m feelin' pretty safe! Everyone's nice an' friendly", Jack ended and shrugged. He had no reason not to feel safe here, and he didn't feel really trapped either. Though he'd like to go out again some time soon-ish.

Most of the patients didn't tell or know why they were here, some even saying they didn't want to tell. Jack listened intently to everyone though, it wouldn't be fair nor polite not to listen after all! They had all listened to him speak after all, so it was only fair. He got to know his friends a little better thanks to it as well. Carla, for example, stated that she felt safe around most of the nurses, but didn't like being alone. Felix complimented her for her bravery when she told everyone why she was here as well. Depression and a suicide attempt. It made Jack sad hearing that, some others of the patients as well. Jack could've sworn he had even seen Mark's expression shift for a moment.  
And then it was finally the turn for Mark. He did have a clipboard, which he had not once taken his gaze off of, nor his drawing stopped. Jack wondered if he'd talk or not. His answer was quickly answered though, when Felix spoke up.  
"Most of ya should know Mark here", he said, motioning to the man, who didn't give any reaction whatsoever. "I'll talk for 'im, since he doesn't talk with anyone sadly".  
"So! That's Mark and he's feeling... pretty alright!", Felix did have a paper in his hands, like the ones everyone else had as well. Jack wondered if Mark had filled it out, it appeared so.  
"Sadly, Mark doesn't feel safe here or anywhere in the building, though no one knows why. He's here due to his condition he's in", Felix told everyone. He held himself short, either because Mark didn't write much or because Felix didn't know what else he could say to everyone. He technically should know everything about Mark and his condition after all.

The round went on after that, Felix having to talk for another person as well. No one seemed to mind though, at least no one said anything about it. In the end, Felix collected all of the clipboards again, except Mark's, and put them away. Mark continued drawing idly, seemingly not noticing what was happening around him. Jack wondered if he did or not.  
"Let's plaaaay, a game!", Felix announced then, now having a small ball in his hand. It was made with fabric, weighed with sand probably, and he tossed it around in his hands.  
"I'll throw the ball to someone an' ask a question. The person who catches it answers if they want! Then they can throw the ball and ask a question", Felix explained, and once everyone nodded, he smiled brightly and nodded as well.  
"Please only choose someone who's paying attention as well", he added then, since at least two people were obviously not paying attention to what was happening. Then he threw the ball to the first person, and asked a mundane question.  
The ball got tossed around for a while, questions like "What's your favorite colour" or "Do you like to read?" were asked, no one really mentioning anything relating to the reasons they were there in the questions. Jack was always happy to get the ball and play around with it while answering and thinking of a question. And Felix played with them as well, he got asked a few questions that he answered.

Felix dismissed them after they were done, they had spend almost two hours in the circle, introducing each other to everyone. Upon request, Jack got the ball Felix had used for the activity and was allowed to play with it and with the others. Felix gathered the clipboards and the patients stood up, some leaving the room, some dragging their chairs back to the tables. A few chairs weren't moved and just stood there. To Jack's surprise, Mark had stood up once Felix dismissed them, putting down his clipboard and marker, and walked to his seat on the couch, in front of the TV, again.  
Curious as could be, Jack looked at what Mark had drawn. Sadly, he couldn't really tell. The whole page was basically covered in blue, looking like Mark had drawn many things over each other, instead of stopping once the page was full. It made Jack frown a little, but he shrugged it off.  
He got Rebecca to come and play with him, they sat down on the armchairs that were facing each other, ignoring the TV that was showing static again and Mark who was staring at it. Instead, Jack and Rebecca started to play, throwing the ball between each other. Some time Ro called from behind the couches for the ball, and Jack threw it to her with a grin. Soon enough, almost the whole room was playing catch with each other.

Until the ball hit Mark accidentally. Most of the patients hadn't been paying attention really to the game anyways, some only looking around for the ball from time to time. But Jack was one of the people always following the ball with his eyes, and they widened once Mark was hit.  
Mark flinched when the ball connected with the back of his head, his gaze falling from the TV and a hand raising to touch his head softly. He scrunched his face up a little, reaching behind him and feeling the ball, which had landed on the backrest of the couch. He took it, looked at it, and looked up. His gaze didn't look behind him into the room, instead only seeing Rebecca and then Jack.  
Their eyes met, warm chocolate brown eyes meeting the blue of a crystal sky that Jack's eyes held. The contact seemed to last for minutes, but were in truth only seconds. And then the ball flew towards Jack, and he almost didn't catch the ball in time. After a second of dazed confusion, jack broke out into a bright and happy grin, even though Mark put his attention back onto the TV again after he threw. Jack didn't care at all though, he had had Mark's attention, if only for just a few seconds, and that was enough for him.  
He continued the game then, though they were soon interrupted again, this time by the lunch-bell though. When Jack got up, he had a bounce in his step and the brightest of smiles on his face, walking to the doors. He noted that Mark didn't get up, probably skipping lunch again. It made him wonder if he always skipped lunch or not, though his thoughts wandered away from the questions back to the short moment they had had.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Mark isn't a lifeless statue!  
> I have written up to chapter 8, so, yeah  
> I still welcome OCs, even though they wouldn't appear for a long time, if at all <.<  
> They're mostly just name mentions in the later chapters, since Jack and Mark are the main focus, but still. I'd like to do more with them if I got the chance  
> But with just one patient and one nurse atm, it's uh. Not really interesting xD  
> So yeah, we'll see about that


	4. A new goal in mind

It was Jack's fifth day. He enjoyed it here more than where he had been before, he had more friends and the nurses were nicer. He hadn't met his doctor yet, or any for that matter, at least not that he could remember. Pretty sure his doctor had seen him on the day he arrived here, but Jack hadn't cared much at the time. Not that he cared much now either, but when it came into his mind, he felt a little anxious. He didn't have many good experiences with doctors before.  
The morning passed by slowly, Jack playing cards with some other patients. After everyone had gotten their medicine, they were told it was time for showering. The males and females got divided, and lead down hallways, several nurses coming along to make sure everyone got to their destination and didn't wander off.

They had big group showers, a wall in the middle dividing the room to fit in more showerheads. Everyone got to the changing rooms, were they undressed and could find showering supplies, like soaps and shampoos. No one seemed to mind about the nudity, Jack didn't care either. He was glad to shower finally, his hair wasn't nearly as soft as it should be! So while he washed himself, he hummed happily, not giving a shit about whatever anyone else did.  
Once done and back in the changing room, Jack dried himself off and rubbed his hair with the towel for a good while, before it was too wet to dry his hair any more. So he got dressed again, having gotten fresh clothes, and waited to go back again. He hummed while waiting, rolling back and forth on his feet, watching the others that were ready to go.

Eventually, his eyes landed on Mark, who was getting dressed. Jack's eyes roamed over the other man's upper body, taking in his muscles and build, seeing some scars in multiple locations. Once Mark had his shirt over his head, he sat down on the bench and looked to the ground, waiting. His hair was still dripping a little, which made Jack frown. Mark couldn't leave like that! With an idea and determination to do it, he walked over to Mark and grabbed his towel.  
"Ya can't go around with yer hair like tha'!", Jack exclaimed with a chuckle and put the towel on Mark's head, before starting to dry off the man's hair. He didn't expect an answer or reaction, so Jack just continued talking.  
"Yer hair sure looks floofy fluffy soft Markimoo! Dryin' it will certainly help it out, won' it? I like tha red by the way! My own hair is green, if ya hadn't noticed", Jack began to ramble now, talking about hair and hair colours. He didn't stop talking even when he put the towel down and was finished with Mark, instead just sitting down next to him. Only when they were finally on their way back, did he quiet down again and just hummed while walking, right next to Mark and a nurse.

Once back in the sitting room, Mark went to the TV like he always was. Jack went back to playing cards, being joined by Dan, Phil and Ro. A little later Kai joined them as well, easily falling into conversation. Some time before lunch, Jack heard the TV, not static. Curious, he turned around, seeing the TV playing some cartoon. On the couch with Mark, Carla was, curled up next to the armrest. There was another patient sitting in an armchair as well, and all three of them looked at the TV. Jack could suspect that Mark didn't really watch the cartoon, but just stared at the TV.  
Jack's attention got drawn back to the game at hand, and conversation, so the thoughts of Mark and the TV soon left his mind again and were replaced by what they were talking about, and the game.

Once it was lunchtime, Mark was allowed back to his static, since he skipped lunch apparently everyday. Jack wondered about that, and this time it stayed on his mind even while he ate and talked. He mostly talked to himself this time, saying out his thoughts loud. No one really cared about what Jack was talking about, everyone was pretty much used to his rambling by now, and his always moving hands and arms -when he wasn't eating at least.  
Jack decided to go and sit with Mark as soon as he was back. He knew it was unlikely to get any reaction from the man, but Jack would try. He was intrigued by Mark and he wanted to get to know him, if it was possible. Jack set the goal in his mind, to get Mark to talk to him.  
Jack wanted to hear the other man's voice, and have his full attention for at least once. He could remember clear as day the way Mark had looked at him not so long ago, how he had his attention for just a few seconds. Even though Jack had seen in Mark's eyes, that he had still been distracted and not fully there.

So as soon as he could, Jack plopped down onto the couch next to Mark. At first, he stayed quiet, watching Mark and observing him. He didn't do anything but sit there, cross-legged and barefooted, staring at the TV unwavering, with a neutral expression. But soon, Jack got bored, so he started to talk. He talked about lunch first, before his mind wandered to his friends and so he talked about them, before getting on the topic of cartoons. He sat there for a few hours, just talking, before he really registered that their hair had dried.  
"Yer hair looks really soft an' fluffity!", Jack commented, just like he had predicted before. "Can I touch it? Sure I can, righ'? Yeah! Course!", he chuckled to himself, reading out with a hand and letting it run through Mark's hair. His eyes widened a little, and Jack looked mesmerized, feeling Mark's hair between his fingers.  
"Yer hair's amazin' Markle Sparkle", Jack said, his voice so soft that it was barely above a whisper. Mark's hair was very soft, it was thick and nice to touch. It was a calming sensation, and Jack found himself enjoying it immensely.

After a few minutes of staying silent and letting Mark's hair run through his fingers, Jack leaned forwards to look at Mark's face. He wanted to know if he caused a reaction he hadn't noticed, maybe his friend -he decided they were friends- was uncomfortable with another person's hand in his hair. But what Jack saw surprised him to no end.  
Mark had his eyes closed. _Closed_. He wasn't looking at the TV, not staring at the static, but had his eyes closed and just enjoyed the feeling of Jack petting his hair. He seemed very relaxed and at peace, which made Jack smile. Leaning back again, Jack still continued to pet his friends hair.  
He started to talk again, telling Mark about anything and everything he could think of currently. He wished that Mark was more attentive to the things going on around him while he was so relaxed, and listened closely to Jack instead of the static, or blending everything out, or whatever he did.

Jack sat there for hours, petting Mark's hair, letting it run through his fingers, while talking. When the bell for dinner rang, Jack was startled out of his thoughts, his hand coming to a halt. His stomach growled softly, he was hungry and needed food. And he knew that Mark couldn't skip dinner! He skipped lunch already, it'd be bad if he didn't eat now! So Jack pulled his hand back, and stood up, walking in front of Mark.  
"Hey Mark, c'mon, food", he said, standing in the man's line of sight, and holding out his hands. He waited for a second or two, before speaking again. "Let's go together Mark, I'll pet yer hair later again", Jack smiled gently at his friend, still holding out his hands.  
The brown eyes, previously looking through Jack and towards the TV, looked into Jack's blue eyes, focusing on him. His gaze fell, seeing Jack's offered hands. It took at least a full minute, before Mark raised his own hands and grabbed Jack's, letting the slightly taller of the two pull him to his feet. Jack smiled brightly at Mark, incredibly glad that he had gotten Mark's attention again, even though he could see how Mark's gaze fell back on the ground, loosing his thoughts again.

When Jack turned to walk with Mark, holding one of his hands in his own, he saw Marzia. She looked stumped, dumbfounded, surprised, shocked. Jack waved at her with a bright smile, walking past her with Mark in tow. He swung their arms softly, humming happily, while following the others to the cafeteria. He didn't notice Marzia hurrying after them and tapping him on the shoulder.  
"How did you get him to stand up?", Marzia asked Jack, motioning to Mark. She sounded very confused, but also curious. Not many people had succeeded in getting Mark up and moving.  
"Markimoo likes his hair pet!", Jack exclaimed with a bright grin. "Relaxes the guy a whole lot! Seems ta love it, an' makes 'im calm. Closed eyes an' all. So I talked ta him a lot an' he heard me when saying it's time for food!", he explained, more or less. He sounded very happy, and proud of his achievement.  
"I'm impressed", Marzia said, looking over at Mark. Gaze at the ground, lost in thought, like he always looked like when she guided him. Though she noticed he held onto Jack's hand just like Jack held onto his hand.  
"Mark rarely reacts when anyone tries to get him up. Only me and Felix have been able to get his attention long enough for it, and it sometimes takes a long time", she said, more to herself than Jack, since the man was humming again already, distracted by his thoughts.

Marzia stayed with the two males, she did have to get Mark his dinner after all. So they sat him down and walked together to get something, Jack starting to talk to Marzia about random things he had already told Mark about, while they got dinner. Marzia smiled, glad that Jack had found an interest in Mark and tried to help him. Since Jack was a talking waterfall and not afraid to touch whoever he wanted, he could be perfect company to Mark. And Jack seemed to care about the man as well, which made her happy. Maybe Mark could now actually start to get better, with Jack's help.  
She set the tray in front of Mark, gently telling him she had brought him food, before leaving the two. She trusted Jack enough to take care of Mark and bring him back once dinner was over, so she could help bring other patients back.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! More fluff! :D  
> Thanks for the new OC by the way, I'll try and add them as soon as I can ^^;  
> Also hey, if you have any nicknames for Mark (like Markimoo, Markle Sparkle) I'd appreciate you telling me!  
> Or if you have any nicknames for any of the characters that have appeared, feel free to tell me! Jack loves to give people nicknames, if you couldn't tell xD  
> Uhm yeah, that's it, I can't think of more


	5. Watching the static

During the next few days, Jack spend his time mostly with Mark. He sat next to him and talked with him, sometimes petting his hair, other times holding his hand, he even leaned against him once or twice while talking. Marzia and Felix both were glad to see Jack taking such interest in Mark, and they sometimes were lucky enough to see how Mark's gaze flickered from the TV to Jack's direction, or their hands, or closed when his hair got petted.  
Jack had taken over the role of getting Mark to go to the meals, even at lunchtime, though sometimes Mark just wouldn't budge at all, and Jack would be unsuccessful in getting Mark's attention for the rest of the day. It never seemed to discourage him though, but only more determined.

It was yet another day, breakfast was over and pills had been given to everyone. Jack had stopped rambling over other people talking, which was a good sign for his health, though he still talked to himself loudly, rambled on and on, and sometimes forgot that he asked something or wanted to answer something. It still was progress though, even if it was only a little.  
Right now he was sitting next to Mark, holding the man's hand, and looking at the TV with him. He still didn't know why Mark stared at the static so much. So he had decided to look with him, curious if he would see what was so hypnotizing about it. But after a few minutes of silence, Jack got bored of it and leaned against Mark, still holding his hand.

"I don' get what's so great 'bout it", he said, gesturing to the TV with his free hand. "It's fockin' borin' an' nothin' happenin'. Why yer starin' at it all the damn time!", Jack sighed in annoyance, looking up to Mark's face. He was still staring at the TV, eyes glued to the white fuzziness called static. But Jack spotted a frown on his face, making himself frown lightly.

"Mark? Somethin' wrong?", Jack asked, leaning forward to get a better look at his face. He watched with growing concern how Mark's usual neutral expression shifted from a small frown to wide eyes and a terrified stare. Before Jack could say anything more, Mark let go of Jack's hand and stood up, running away from the room, shaking his head frantically.  
Jack was startled and shocked, getting up from his seat as soon as he saw Felix run from the nurses room into the hall and after Mark. Jack had luck that he had seen that at all, while he had looked after Mark. But when he saw Felix, Jack shook away his daze and stood up, hurrying out of the room after them.  
He could hear Felix's voice in the otherwise quiet hallway, so Jack followed it to a room, where the door was slightly ajar. Carefully, he pushed it open, peeking inside. Mark was curled up on a corner, his hands in his hair, gripping tightly at it, pulling lightly even. He was shaking and Jack could swear he could hear quiet sobs. Felix was kneeling in front of Mark, his hands on his, talking quietly to him.

Jack had no idea what had happened, but it scared him. He had never seen Mark like this, he had never seen him doing anything besides stare at the static, star at the ground. Always lost in thought, or captivated by something he didn't know, couldn't see, wouldn't understand.  
He backed away from the room, stumbling and falling to the ground. He just sat there then, silently, staring at the door that hid the corner Mark sat in. He had no idea how much time passed, before Felix came out of the room, leaving the door slightly open again. When he spotted Jack on the ground, he walked to him and knelt down in front of him.  
"Are ya alright Jack?", he asked him, concern clear in his voice. After just coming from one breaking down patient to the next shocked one surely wasn't easy, though Felix was trained for that of course.  
"I- I'm fine", Jack replied, nodding shakily. "What's wi'h- how's Mark?", he asked then, clearly worried for his friend. He was shocked and scared, he had never seen that happen before.  
"Ah", Felix's brows scrunched together, he clearly knew something about this. This hadn't been the first time. "Sometimes Mark... just runs away from the TV. He breaks down an' flees into his room. Me or Marzia need to get to him an' calm him down, since he'll hurt himself eventually if not", he explained for Jack, who looked at Felix in silence, before nodding slightly.

So sometimes, without warning, Mark could break down? Flee into his room and hurt himself, if no one calmed him down? It scared him, that that could happen. What if Felix and Marzia weren't there? Didn't notice? Where busy? Could he get to him and calm him down? Would Jack be able to? He was scared, he didn't want that to happen again.

The rest of the day, Mark stayed in his room. Felix made sure that Mark got something to eat before dinner, bringing him something, and advised Jack against going to him until the next day. And even though Jack was worried, and didn't want to not see Mark for so long, he complied and spend the rest of the day with his other friends. Talking with Dan and Phil, drawing with Carla and Kai. He even exchanged some words with Cora when he spotted her for a while. But he wasn't as enthusiastic, and much more quieter than usual. It worried some of his friends, while some thought he was getting better with his health which caused him to quiet down.  
Jack was glad once the day was over though, when he could finally get into his room and sleep, to will the next day to come as fast as it could. He didn't dream well that night, awakening early, before the doors got unlocked, causing him to lay there awake and restless.

Jack felt better this day, happy that he got to see Mark again. He went to breakfast humming, sitting down to some familiar faces he hadn't talked to in a long time. Spotting anyone in the cafeteria was nearly impossible, if you didn't want to search forever, even though it technically shouldn't be hard to spot Mark's red hair. But Jack usually left the other alone in the morning, before and during breakfast. But as soon as he was back in the sitting room, he skipped over to the couch.  
He did slow down a little once he got there, walking around it slowly. Mark was hugging his knees close to his chest, staring at the TV again. Jack looked over to see if he could spot one of his friends. He did spot Carla, and once he was sure she saw him, he pointed to the TV and made a swishing handmotion, pointing at the TV again and then to the girl. She looked confused for a few minutes, Jack trying different things, before she got it and nodded with a smile.

Jack sat down next to Mark, pulling him towards his chest and holding him against him. After a few minutes, the TV channel was switched from static to some cartoon, and Carla snuggled into an armchair. Jack smiled gratefully at her, and got a nod in return. Now with the static gone, Jack began to softly pet Mark's hair.  
Soon enough, Mark leaned against Jack out of his own will, his eyes closed and looking relaxed. Jack began softly talking to Mark, telling him nice things he could think of. It was a kind of reassurance for Jack as well, since he was scared that something would happen to Mark and no one would be there to help him. So he tried his best to give Mark positive thoughts now, to have him know that Jack was there and cared for him, and Felix and Marzia cared as well, a whole lot.

When it was time for their medicine, Jack didn't get up to get them. The nurse had to eventually come to him and give them to him, giving Mark his as well. It was a little troublesome getting Mark to take his, since he was rather unresponsive, but they managed in the end.  
When the bell announced lunch, Jack decided to skip the meal together with Mark. He stayed with his friend, holding him close to himself and petting his hair, letting his hair run through his fingers. He would spend the whole day with Mark like this, if he could. And he knew nothing that would speak against it.

Except doctors. Jack's doctor Bob Myuskens had decided to talk with Jack after lunch, so when a nurse came to get him, Jack didn't want to. It took a solid five minutes to convince Jack to leave Mark for a while. At least the talk didn't take too long, Dr. Myuskens was glad about Jack's improvements in his health, and they talked a little about Mark as well. Jack admitted that he was very worried about Mark and that the other was so unresponsive. He really wanted to be friends with him and hear his voice.  
After about an hour, which went by quicker than Jack had expected, he got back. When he spotted the empty couch and turned off TV, he almost panicked, if Cora didn't come and tell him that Mark had a meeting with his doctor, Dr. Barnes. That calmed Jack down, and he sat down on the couch alone, soon laying down and taking up most of the space there.

Jack dozed off sometime, not doing anything boring him out of his mind. And sleeping was as good as anything, while waiting for Mark to return. He had almost fallen into a deep sleep, when he was suddenly moved a little. His head, which had rested almost where Mark usually sat, was lifted and shortly after placed on something uneven, but soft. Jack blinked his eyes tiredly open, getting used again to the light, when he felt a hand in his hair.  
He froze and tensed a little, before slowly calming down, while the fingers gently massaged his scalp. He opened his eyes fully again and could finally see what had happened. Mark had returned and apparently had decided to let Jack's head rest in his lap, while the man was staring at the TV again.  
"Mark?..", Jack quietly said, not knowing how much attention Mark was paying to what he was doing. He felt his hand stop moving for a moment, before resuming what they did before. Jack smiled softly, closing his eyes again. Even if Mark's full attention wasn't there, Jack knew the other cared about him as well, and knew that he was important to Jack.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah yes, the first instead of an "attack" of Mark's  
> The poor guy, honestly. I love him, I love writing him and everything about him  
> And poor Jack was so shocked and scared for his friend :c  
> Jack cares a whole fricking lot about Mark, I love it so much  
> It'll make it all the more terrible when Jack is declared healed and has to leave :3c


	6. Words words words

The next few days were like normal again. Mark seemed to be back to how he always was, though he showed more responses to things Jack did. When Jack takes Marks hand, he returns the hold just as strongly. When Jack leans against Mark and has his head on the other's shoulder, Mark leans his head against Jack's. When it's time for dinner, Jack gets Mark's attention much quicker than before. Jack wasn't sure why Mark now was more responsive, but he was glad. He was happy to have Mark react more, show he noticed things happening around him. Even though he didn't know if Mark listened to him when he rambled, it was okay with him.  
Jack just enjoyed being close to Mark, knowing he had found a friend in him. That didn't mean Jack never talked to his other friends anymore, he did occasionally leave Mark on his own to talk with the others, play some games, but he usually stayed with Mark.

Jack was just going to Mark, having come back to lunch, which Mark hadn't gone to. Before sitting down, Jack noticed something though. Stepping closer to Mark, he could see the slight movements. Mark was mouthing words, his lips moving as if he was whispering. Jack got as close to Mark as he could, but he didn't hear any actual words being spoken. He furrowed his brows, sitting down next to Mark and staying silent for a while. He had gotten better at staying silent, and not talking to himself, so he could wait if Mark would say something out loud or stop.  
When nothing changed after a few minutes, Jack decided that he didn't want to disturb Mark in whatever he was doing, so he got up again and decided to go talk with his friends. He loved talking to them after all! And maybe later Mark would be back to normal, and if not, then tomorrow.

Jack did indeed have to spend the rest of the day with the others, which he didn't mind much though. He had fun drawing with Carla and Kai after dinner, and talked a lot with some other patients, making more friends. Everyone was really nice, though some were shy or reserved. Jack respected that and tired not to bother anyone, though he couldn't stop his voice from being loud and to fall into rambling, using a lot of hand gestures.  
Before having to sleep, Jack did decide to check up on Mark. He never had seen what the man did when he was in his room instead of in the sitting room, so he was curious to see! The door was slightly ajar, which it always seemed to be, so Jack pushed it open a little more. He peeked inside, easily spotting his friend sitting on the ground.  
Mark sat cross-legged in the middle of the room, staring at the wall opposite of the door. So Jack could only see the back of Mark, but he could already guess that Mark was deep in his own world, lost in thoughts, and wouldn't be responsive. Maybe he would react to Jack coming in, touching him, but Jack wasn't sure if he should try. So after a while of just looking at Mark, he left again without doing anything.

When Jack awoke the next morning, he had a bad feeling. He woke up with an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach, something that told him today would be a bad day. It made him grumble and when going to breakfast, he easily snapped at anyone saying a wrong word to him. Jack did apologize when he realized that he had been mean to anyone, but he couldn't bring himself to really feel sorry. He was glad when breakfast was over and he could relax with Mark again.  
He plopped down onto the couch next to Mark and cuddled up into his side, tugging his head under the man's jaw and resting it against his chest. Listening to Mark's heartbeat called Jack down gradually, and he noticed how Mark had gently laid an arm around him, resting his hand on his waist. A small, sublte gesture, but Jack appreciated it a lot.

He refused again to get up to get his pills, but thankfully it was Cora handing them out, and she was understanding. Jack had a bad day and sought comfort from his silent companion. So she granted him his wish to not get up, though he did have to move slightly to take his medication. And with Jack's gentle helping, she was able to give Mark his meds easily as well. She left them alone afterwards, and Jack was glad none of the other patients would bother him or Mark.  
He fell into a light sleep, the bad feelings he had carried throughout the morning tiring him. He only woke up again when it was time for lunch. He considered skipping it, to stay with Mark and soak in more warmth, but his stomach grumbling decided for him. He looked up to Mark, who looked relatively calm, staring at the static. Sometimes Jack could swear he saw Mark's mouth form words, but he wasn't sure.  
"I'll be right back with ya", he told Mark, voice soft, before he gently took Mark's hand off of him and stood up. He smiled happily at Mark, before going off to lunch. He felt much better now, though he couldn't stop the feeling in his stomach, like he was carrying around a stone in it. Small, but very heavy.

Jack was quickly done with eating, but he spend the rest of the time talking with Ro. She would soon be discharged, able to leave this place, to go home. The news made Jack happy, he was glad that she was good again! Or almost good again! Sure, seeing one of his friends leave wouldn't be easy, but he was happy for her. She was a really nice person and cared so much, appreciated a joke and had fun listening to him talk. He hoped she would never have the need to come back here.  
When the bell rang again, Jack skipped away without saying goodbye to Ro, though Jack rarely did that. He usually just walked away when he wanted to, or when he ended a conversation. So, instead of staying back and waiting for anyone, Jack was one of the first to leave the room. He knew both Felix and Marzia were currently here as well, Felix had been in the cafeteria and Marzia was here in the hall. There were some other nurses Jack had seen before as well, but never cared to talk to them.

When Jack got into the sitting room again, he immediately aimed to go back to the couch, to Mark. But he spotted that no one was sitting there, and he _knew_ Mark hadn't gone to lunch today. Looking around the room, he couldn't spot his friend anywhere. His uneasiness from the morning came back, fear filling Jack. He hurried over to the window, wanting to ask the nurse that should be there where Mark had gone, but he saw no one inside. Panic flooding him, and he immediately ran out of the room into the hallway, going as quickly as he could to where he knew Mark's room was. It was more than just a lightly open, and he could hear quiet sobs coming from inside, together with a soft, but frantic, voice.  
Taking a deep breath, trying to calm himself a little, Jack got inside. Mark was curled up in the corner, pulling at his hair like he wanted to pull it out. In front of him was Signe, trying to calm him down, speaking softly to him. When she tried to pull away Mark's hands, he pushed her away from him, before one hand went back to pulling at his hair, while the other was still hiding his face, but his hand was on his forehead. And from the motions he did, Jack could tell he was scratching at his skin, digging his nail into it.

Jack went over to them, falling to his knees next to Signe. He knew both Felix and Marzia were occupied and couldn't come to help, and Signe was clearly not doing anything that helped calm Mark down. He had to help, he had to try! He could spot the red lines Mark's nails were leaving on his forehead, soon going to draw blood, surely.  
"Mark", he spoke softly, his voice shaking a little. He was terrified, he had no idea if he could help Mark or not. When Signe heard Jack, she looked to him. She looked helpless and hoped that Jack could help Mark. Otherwise she'd have to get sedatives and she disliked using them on anyone.  
"Mark", Jack repeated, getting as close to Mark as he could, without touching him. He wasn't sure how Mark would react to touch right now.  
"It's a'right. 'm here, ol' Jackaboy", without knowing what troubled Mark, Jack wasn't sure what to say, but he tried his best. "Yer safe, an' I'm safe too. It's a'right. We're fine".  
Taking another steadying breath, Jack chewed on his lower lip for a moment, thinking. "Stop pullin' at yer hair Mark, please. Don' hurt yerself... Everything's okay", he tried, carefully reaching out to Mark now. He only laid a hand on his knee, not rushing anything.  
Mark flinched a little at the touch, but did nothing else, his actions not ceasing either. Jack worried that he couldn't help him, he had to try to get Mark's hands away from him, to stop hurting himself.  
"Yer fine. There's no need ta hurt yerself. Please stop Mark. For Jackaroony?", Jack tried, using his second hand to lay it on Mark's hand, which was pulling at his hair. The reaction to that was a very quiet whimper from Mark, but he stopped pulling at his hair, though his hand was still clenched tightly in its locks.  
"Yer doin' good. Thanks Mark. Yer fine, listen ta me. 'm fine too. We're safe as well, both of us", Jack continued, trying to gently get Mark's hand out of his hair. With a few more quiet reassurances, he was able to get Mark's hand to open, and he took it in his own. The other hand though, it was still scratching away, sometimes pulling at a lock of hair that hanged in his face.

"Trust me Mark, ya can do tha', right? Ya can stop scratchin'. Yer fine. It's a'right", Jack quietly spoke to Mark, using his hand that had laid on Mark's knee to gently grab the one of his, scratching away. He could see a bit of blood, it staining the man's nails. It hurt Jack, worried him.  
"C'mon... please Mark... I need ya in one piece", Jack ever so gently pulled at Mark's hand. He continued talking quietly to Mark, asking him to stop, that everything's alright and he was safe. Eventually, Mark stopped his scratching.  
Right as he did so, he lunged forward and basically tackled Jack to the ground. Laying on top of the lighter man, he buried his face in Jack's chest, clinging to his shirt. Tears quickly soaked through the material, and when Jack wrapped his arms around his friend, he could feel the sobs rocking through his body.  
He continued to softly murmur into Mark's ear, gently moving his thumbs on the man's back. He didn't notice how Signe had left the room, the door slightly ajar. He wouldn't have cared though, all he cared about right now was Mark and wanting him to calm.

"J-jack". Jack was startled hearing his name, hearing _Mark speak_. The sobbing guy had chocked the word out, his voice hoarse, but deep. He sounded scared, almost _terrified_. Like he thought he'd loose Jack if he let go of him.  
"'m here Mark. 'm here. An' I won't leave ya", Jack said, after he got his bearings, keeping his voice soft. He wouldn't leave Mark, not now and not ever if he could help it.  
Minutes passed, turning slowly into hours. And Jack just laid there, on the ground, with Mark on top of him and crying into his chest. He slowly calmed down, his sobs subsiding. He was left sniffing and only trembling now. Jack didn't let go though, he continued to hold Mark close to him. He had moved one of his hands up a while ago, softly stroking Mark's hair, letting his locks run through his fingers. It calmed them both, slowly but steadily.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another breakdown! This time with Jackaboy helping!  
> And! Mark spoke! WHOA!  
> So yeah, I need to write more for this. I got another chapter, though I'm unsure if I like it and will post it :I  
> So, if I don't update the day after tomorrow, I didn't like the chapter I have and haven't written anything new  
> Sorry if you're going to have to wait! I apologize! Be patient please!


	7. Stuck in the static

_He's swimming. His mind is numb, filled with static and white noise. There's nothing in it, it's like a void. A white void, never letting him go, never letting anything in. It pressed against his ears, filled them like cotton balls. It was in his lungs, winding its way up, strangling his vocal chords, tying them together. It keeps him tightly in its grasp, never letting his feet touch solid ground, never letting his fingers touch anything.  
It's tiring. He's exhausted. He wants to sleep, he wants this to stop. He wants to get away from it, out of the static. But he's stuck, he has no way to get out. He doesn't know how. There is nothing to guide him, there is nothing to hold onto. It's just him, just the static._

_Sometimes, he hears voices. They're quiet, like whispers, but right next to his ears. Its like the static is talking to him, telling him what to do. What to think. He doesn't know what's real and what's not. He has been here for years, he has been alone for so long. He doesn't remember how it feels to be out of this void. Out of the static.  
Sometimes, there would be other voices. They're warm. They're soft. He wants to get to them, to where they are, but they're far away. He can never reach them. But when he reaches out, his fingers graze another being's skin. Another warmth. And he grabs it, he holds it, and he lets it pull him along. And he felt safe with them, he liked them._

_But they always left again. He was always left alone again, the warmth leaving him, the gentle touch of another being's skin leaving him, the soft voices leaving him. There would sometimes be others, but they weren't as warm. Not as gentle. He didn't like them, so he didn't reach out to them. Even if they were different from the void, weren't from the static. They felt cold._

_One day, there was a new voice. It was bright, full of energy. It echoed around the static, making the words muffled and mumbled, making them unable for him to understand. But he liked that voice. He liked its warmth. But no matter how hard he tried to reach out, no matter how much he concentrated to try and focus on it, he never got to it. He could never feel it close to him._  
_But then, something shook him. Disturbed the static. Pain. Short, nothing that injured him. Nothing painful, just uncomfortable. He felt himself focus, the static fading ever so slightly. Showing him the world. Showing him blue eyes._  
_They were so clear. They shined like crystals. They looked like they held so much warmth, that he could drown in it. He didn't want to look away, ever again. He wanted to be close to those eyes. To bathe in their shine._  
_But they were gone, the static claiming them, claiming_ him _, again. It upset him, it made him angry, it made him full of despair. He wanted to get out._

__

_The want to flee overtook him. It filled his very being, he wanted out! OUT! He trashed about, he screamed, until he was broken. Until those warm voices were back. Talking gently to him. Making him feel safe, safer than he was. They calmed him down, and they didn't leave him until he was quiet. Until he gave up.  
They didn't know about his struggles. How he was stuck, how he wanted to get out. He was trapped here, and he was too weak to leave. To break free. But he tried, he tried and tried. Once the new voice had appeared, he wanted to break free more than ever. He struggled more often. He cried out in despair. No one knew about his suffering, how he was in pain that never left him._

_Time meant nothing to him. He didn't feel it passing, he couldn't tell what happened around him. Not much. There were times of blackness, nothingness, when he slept. But they were gone as soon as they came, and he didn't count them. Time would always pass. It went right by him, forgetting he was there, forgetting to take him along. Just leaving him where he was.  
His memories were jumbled. I couldn't place what had happened when. He could remember the time he had first heard the warm voice. Did that happen before or after he had heard the warm, energetic voice? Or had he first struggled before hearing anything? He didn't know. Maybe he'd never know either._

_There was a feeling. It was soft, it was soothing. Calming. He felt himself relax into the touch, he felt his eyes fall shut. The static quieting. He could hear the voice. It felt colourful, so bright and warm. He loved it. He loved how it felt. He wanted to reach out to it, to grasp it, but he rarely got the chance. Sometimes, sometimes he could graze his fingers along the skin belonging to the voice. Sometimes he could feel his hand in a tight grasp, leading him. And he followed, and he would always follow it._

_The static ceased. He noticed, when no one else could. It became more quiet. He could feel the voice more often. A hand grasping his own. The warmth leaning into him. His hair getting pet, the locks running along the voice's fingers. He always reached for it. He always yearned to be closer to it. It made him feel safer than anything else. He loved that voice, and he hoped he could get out of the static. To see those blue eyes again. To have those together with that voice.  
It was his dream. His wish. His hope to escape his torture._

_He struggled. He screamed. He trashed around. Hot tears stained his cheeks, his hands clenched in his hair. He was in despair. He was suffering. Not long ago, his loved warmth had been there. It had been calm, soothing. But then it was gone._  
_He felt like he was frozen, like he was tossed into a frozen lake. He tried to break through the surface, to get above water. To breathe in air again. He felt chocked, he struggled to breathe. Sobs break through his throat, but make no sounds. Tears leave stains like scars on his cheeks, hot while running, but leaving a frozen path._  
_He needed to feel. Something. Something tried to reach out to him. He pushed it away. He didn't like it. It didn't feel familiar, he didn't trust it. Pain came from his forehead. Streaks of red drawn on his skin._

_But then it was back. The voice. The warmth. A familiarity he loved more than anything else. But it was so muffled. So dulled. He couldn't focus on it, he couldn't concentrate. There were too many feelings, too many thoughts. The static was so loud, drowning out the one thing that could help._  
_But he reached out. A weak, trembling hand. There was a touch. It scared him, he shied away, before going back. He needed it. He needed help. He needed those blue eyes, that warm voice._  
_So he listened. He tried to focus. He tried to concentrate. He tried to reach out to it, to get out, get OUT._

_It was slow. It took ages. It_ felt _like ages. He wanted to touch the voice. Get engulfed by the warmth, drown in it and never leave it again. So he struggled against the static. Against the numbness. Against everything he had felt for years and years, for so long it had made him forget. Forget his life. His everything._  
_But he ripped free. It was but a mere moment, were he was stronger than the static. Were he fell out from the water, and clung to the warmth. Got engulfed by it. And his throat was freed, free for but a second. To give the voice its name. Give the eyes their name. Give the warmth he craved a name._  
"J-jack" _. It was chocked. It was quiet. It was barely audible. His throat hurt, his voice hoarse from disuse. He was scared. He was_ terrified _. He wanted to be free, he wanted to be safe._

_But he wasn't. He didn't know if he'd ever be. But right now, he was engulfed in warmth. Right now, he was held protectively. Right now, his hair was gently stroked. Right now, gentle words were whispered in his ears.  
Right now, for at least right now. He was safe._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really had wanted a chapter to see what is going on in Mark's mind, so here we go  
> Next update should be on schedule, so on monday, since I got the next chapter down already  
> So yeah, y'all still gotta wait what happens next! Ha!  
> BTW I'm unsure how to handle future chapters, I'm so unsure on what to do and how  
> Like, Mark needs to recover, but that'll happen slow af. And he needs Jack for that. I just wonder how I'll write more chapters until Jack has to leave, being healthy again.  
> Would anyone mind more time-skips in one chapter? I'd probably make it like, giving snippets of Mark starting to get better, until Jack leaves. And then "normal" chapters, how Jack leaves and what happens after that. I dunno


	8. Clouded mind

The crying had tired Mark out enough for him to fall asleep. Jack didn't mind one bit, instead he continued laying on the ground with Mark on top of him. He did slid off partly of him thankfully though, since otherwise Jack would've been crushed and unable to breathe probably. But he was still resting his head on Jack's chest, his arms wrapped around the other man. He looked peaceful while he slept, making Jack smile softly. He still ran his hand through Mark's hair, keeping his other arm slightly around him.  
He had his eyes closed, his fingers moving lazily through Mark's hair, when someone entered the room. Jack didn't really care though, he was enjoying the quietness and closeness of Mark. It was the most calm he had felt and the most quiet he had been since getting here.

"Jack?", he heard a voice next to him. He recognized it as being Felix, so he decided not to open his eyes, but hum softly in response.  
"Did you calm Mark down?", Felix asked. He was crouched down next to Jack, his voice soft and rather quiet. He didn't want to wake up Mark, unless he had to.  
"Yeah. T'was hard though", Jack replied quietly. He cracked open an eye and looked at Felix, grinning. Felix looked actually impressed, before he noticed that Mark had hurt himself. For deep scratches on his forehead, which were slightly bleeding still.  
Felix sighed softly and got up, leaving the room. He returned soon after, getting on his knees next to Mark and Jack again. He was careful while taking care of the wounds, glad that they weren't too bad. It could've been a lot worse, he knew from experience with Mark..

"Do you know what happened?", Felix asked Jack then, sitting down on the ground next to Jack. "I mean, why Mark was here, and how you calmed him", he elaborated, since it was obvious what happened: Mark had had a breakdown.  
"I came back after lunch an' wanted ta get back ta Mark on tha couch. He wasn' there an' no nurse to be seen. I was scared an' went ta Mark's room, where he an' Signe were. She couldn' calm 'im, so I tried, since I know 'im an' stuff. Took a lot o' talkin' to 'im, but eventually he calmed an' tackled me", Jack told Felix, slightly rambling again. He used his hand that had laid on Mark to gesture a little, without raising his arm though.  
Felix nodded, looking at Mark. That explained why he was hurt, Signe hadn't been able to help Mark, and he and Marzia weren't there. It was good that Jack cared so much about Mark, otherwise this would've ended a lot differently.

"He said me name", Jack suddenly said, after a minute of silence. Felix's head snapped towards him, eyes wide in surprise and shock. Almost disbelief.  
"What?", he said, not believing what Jack had said. Mark _spoke?_  
"Mark said "Jack" after tacklin' me", Jack replied and grinned at Felix again. The nurse had his mouth in a silent "o" shape, staring at Mark in disbelief.  
"He hasn't said anything since being here", Felix muttered once he got his bearings back. He got back up on his feet then, he had to tell Mark's doctor about this.  
Looking back to the two men on the ground, he couldn't help himself but smile. "I'm glad you're here and take care of Mark", he told Jack, before turning to leave.  
"'m glad too", Jack said, right as Felix left the room, leaving the two alone again. Jack really was glad to have found interest in Mark, the guy was in desperate need of someone that could be with him, Jack had realized.

He knew he was getting better. He also knew that if he was deemed healthy again, he would have to leave. That meant he would go back to his old life, or more or less go back to it, and try to never step foot into this building again, at least as patient. But with the rate of how fast he was getting better, he knew it wouldn't be long until he was released.  
In that time he had to get Mark better. At least a little, at least so much that Mark would hopefully talk again. Jack knew that that would be really hard to do, but he was determined. He wanted to see Mark get better, and he knew that he could help him. He had gotten Mark to say his name after all, right? Even though it had been during a breakdown of Mark's.

Eventually, Jack fell asleep as well. He was comfortable here on the ground, together with Mark, so it was no wonder. They were left alone as well, sometimes a nurse coming to check up on them while they slept. Eventually though, time for dinner came, and they had to be woken up. When Cora walked into the room, she found the two men still sleeping on the ground, Jack spooning Mark, holding him close to himself.  
She smiled, before kneeling down next to the two and gently shaking Jack awake. He groggily opened his eyes, blinking against the light, before looking at Cora with squinted eyes. She chuckled softly, smiling at him.  
"It's time for dinner", she informed him, and Jack grumbled in response. He honestly didn't want to get up and go eat, but he knew that Mark at least needed dinner, since he hadn't have lunch. So he sighed and nodded softly, gently shaking Mark then. Seeing that Jack was going to wake Mark, and knowing the latter listened to him, Cora left the two again, to go to the other patients that were still missing.

"Mark", Jack called out softly, seeing Mark stir awake slowly. He turned around, still being held by Jack, and looked up. Warm brown eyes met crystal blues.  
"It's time fer dinner", Jack told Mark and smiled, keeping his gaze locked with Mark's. He felt like he was actually looking at him, actually seeing him, and he wanted to keep it like that for as long as he could.  
Jack slowly let go of Mark and went to scoot back, so that they could stand up, but Mark held onto Jack's shirt. It surprised him, he had only looked away for a second from Mark, but looked back to him as soon as he was held by his shirt.  
He saw fear in Mark's eyes. Sadness. Confusion. Helplessness. Jack could swear when he had first looked into Mark's eyes after they both woke up, that Mark looked surprised, happy, and at peace. How he now looked made Jack worry.

"Mark?..", Jack softly said, laying a hand on Mark's, balled up in his shirt. Mark seemed to want to say something, but had troubles forming words. His grip loosened and his gaze fell away, and Jack could see them darken. He could swear he saw them getting clouded, while Mark's hands fell away from his shirt. It made Jack sad.  
"C'mon, let's go eat", Jack mumbled, sitting up finally. He thankfully was able to get Mark on his feet without having to talk him into it, leading Mark by the hand out of the room and through the hall, to get dinner. They were late, he knew, but he didn't care. When they met Cora again, who would help carrying a tray for Mark, she noticed how sad Jack looked. He didn't answer her when she asked what happened.  
While eating, Jack's face scrunched up in concentration, brows furrowed together. He was thinking deeply, that was clear to anyone watching him. He was quiet and in his own head, sitting next to Mark and sometimes glancing at him.

After dinner, they went back to the sitting room, and sat down on the couch. Jack didn't let Mark face the TV though, instead turning Mark so that he was facing Jack. He let him, letting Jack move him without struggling. They sat in silence for a while, facing each other. Jack heard someone approach them, but he didn't care. He was looking into Mark's eyes.  
They were unfocused. It was like Mark was looking through everything, like he didn't notice his surroundings. They were cold and far-away, and not warm and attentive like they had been before dinner. There wasn't any emotion to be seen.  
"Mark", Jack said, his voice a little louder than a normal speaking tone.  
"Look at me", Jack said, keeping his voice as stern and commanding as he could -which wasn't the most commanding, really. He cared too much, was too friendly and caring to really get the tone right. It didn't matter though, because nothing about Mark changed.  
"Mark, look at me", Jack repeated. He was looking straight at Mark's eyes, not taking them off. Even though he knew there was someone else next to them.

After a moment of thinking, Jack took Mark's hand in his own. He felt them twitch slightly, before they softly returned the grip Jack had. He smiled softly at that.  
"Mark, look at me", Jack said again then, tugging slightly at Mark's hands. It didn't do anything though, and Jack sighed. He looked determined though, and he continued to ask Mark to look at him. Jack scooted closer to Mark after a while, their knees touching, and he still held Mark's hands.  
"Jack?", a voice next to them said, after a good handful of minutes. Jack sighed and looked away from Mark, to see Felix sitting on the ground next to them. He probably had watched them.  
"Yah?", Jack replied, looking at Felix with a questioning gaze. He didn't look annoyed or anything, even though he had been so concentrated on talking to Mark just a moment ago.  
"What are you doing?", Felix asked, genuinely confused. He motioned between the two guys sitting on the couch, eyebrow raised in question.  
"Haven't ya noticed how", Jack let go of one of Mark's hands, twirling it in circles while searching for words, "how _unfocused_ Mark looks? Like, look at 'is eyes. Not lookin' at anything'! An'- an'..", again, he trailed off to search for words, or to make up his mind. Maybe get his thoughts in order.  
"Well, I read Mark's file", Felix replied, when Jack didn't come up with any more words. "I know that he always seems to be somewhere else with his mind, so his eyes seem unfocused on anything". He shrugged lightly, not seeing what Jack thought was so special about it.  
"Yeah but! He looks, it, his eyes look like they're clouded or somethin'!", Jack exclaimed, glaring slightly at Felix, before looking back at Mark. He had his head turned to the TV by now, but was still holding onto Jack's hand tightly.

Felix scrunched his eyebrows together, watching Jack and Mark. He didn't understand what Jack meant, not really. Mark's eyes looked clouded over? He wondered if Jack was just imagining it, or if he knew more about it than anyone else.  
"Fe, grab 'is hand", Jack instructed the nurse, who looked startled up to him. Not seeing why he shouldn't, Felix got to his knees to kneel besides the couch, grabbing Mark's free hand. It stayed limp in his.  
"Mark", Jack spoke then, looking at Mark intently once more. "That's Felix. Yer friend. Our friend. Ya like 'im too, right?", Jack wanted to have Felix see a reaction from Mark. It didn't need to be much, just hold Felix's hand back. Even though everyone basically knew of Mark's responses towards Jack, he wanted someone else to get a reaction from Mark as well. For when he wasn't here anymore.  
"Mark, can ya hold Felix's hand? Like mine? Ye can do that, right?", Jack wanted to encourage Mark, squeezing his hand gently. Felix just stayed quiet, watching.  
"Say somethin' Fel!", Jack looked at Felix, nudging his shoulder with his free hand. Felix scoffed in irritation, but nodded and looked at Mark.

"Hey Mark, it's me, Felix!", he said, sounding as cheerful as ever, with his smile. Even if he didn't think he'd get a reaction from Mark, he hadn't talked to him in a while.  
"I haven't spoken to ya in a while, which I'm sorry about. Job's not that easy after all, don't got all the time for you I wish I had", Felix shrugged lightly, before continuing to talk. He just told Mark about his days, about Marzia and him. After a few minutes, he stuttered in his words, stopping. And Jack grinned, seeing Mark holding onto Felix's hand.  
It clearly stunned Felix. He knew Jack easily got small reactions and gestures from Mark, even if they were only subtle. He broke into a bright smile, glad that he had gotten something out from Mark as well. Technically this was no different than getting Mark to come to dinner, but it felt incredibly different.  
"'m proud of ye Mark! An' so glad ye know Felix is 'ere an' cares too", Jack praised Mark, smiling brightly. He always tried to encourage Mark when he was responsive, showed reactions. Hoping that it would help his friend react more.

Felix chuckled softly, he found it adorable how Jack talked to Mark, and in general acted around and towards him. They looked like a couple sometimes, even though he could only wish Mark could be healthy enough again to get so far in his life again.  
Jack grinned at Felix. "'m sure ya can get Mark ta react to ya as well alone", he said, happiness radiating off of him. Felix chuckled again and shrugged.  
"Maybe if I'm like you", he joked with a wink. "Top of the morning to you laddie!", he called out and laughed, making Jack laugh as well, pushing Felix at his shoulder playfully.  
Neither of them noticed that Mark had turned his face back to them, specifically to Jack. He was almost focused, his attention having been captured by a laugh. Bright, happy, and full of life.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much happened, really. At least I don't think much happened, but eh  
> I got the next chapter down already as well, but I have troubles with chapter 10 orz  
> Do you think making chapter 10 in Mark's POV again would be okay?


	9. Fear of the unknown

A few days passed, where Jack tried to get Mark to react to Felix and Marzia more. He spend as much time with Mark as he could, talking with him and looking at him, always trying to have Mark not look at the TV. He managed to have Mark effectively hold hands with both Felix and Marzia, even without having to prompt him to do it. Just a greeting from them was enough thankfully. It was a huge improvement for Mark, even though it didn't seem like it to anyone. After all, he was just holding hands with people, he didn't even look at them or anything. But Jack knew, Marzia and Felix knew, Dr Barnes knew. And that was enough.  
It seemed to have a downside though. Mark had more breakdowns, he was more in his room and often near hurting himself. Marzia or Felix had to be constantly around, or quickly to be called. And even though Jack wanted to help desperately, he usually would only help them. He didn't mind too much, sometimes he didn't even come to help. Seeing Mark like that just hurt him so much.

Jack was currently sitting in the cafeteria, eating lunch. He wasn't with Mark right now, since he still preferred to skip lunch apparently. Jack didn't mind, though he liked having Mark with him, even if he didn't eat anything. Suddenly though, he was called and rushed out of the room. Jack was confused, until the nurse that had called him and was rushing him through the halls said that it was because of Mark. He was having another breakdown and neither Marzia nor Felix were able to calm him down. And due to Mark's doctor, they were only allowed to use sedatives if absolutely necessary. Which meant normally, only when the patient became violent.  
Upon hearing that, Jack immediately became panicked. He knew Mark would hurt himself eventually, if no one calmed him down or was able to restrain him. And he really didn't want Mark to see restrained, but also he didn't want to see him hurt.

As soon as they arrived, Jack rushed to Mark. He was in the corner of his room, his arms hiding his face again. While one hand was buried in his hair, gripping tightly and pulling at it, his other hand was on his wrist, and Jack could see his nails were digging harshly into the skin. And if Jack could see it right, there was already blood drawn.  
"Mark, Mark", Jack fell to his knees in front of Mark. He was scared for his friend again, he always was in these situations. He knew Mark didn't like to be touched when he was like this, but he needed to quickly get him to stop hurting himself.  
"Mark, it's me, Jackaboy. It's a'right. Yer a'right. 'm a'right", Jack tried to keep his voice as calm as possible, to not frighten Mark. He never knew what to do to help Mark, there never seemed something that he always reacted well to.  
"Mark, please, listen", Jack carefully reached out, laying a hand on Mark's knee. He flinched in response, his fingernails digging deeper, but he didn't react further than that.  
"Mark it's me, Jack. Yer friend. Ya remember? Blue eyes, green hair?", Jack tried, hoping that maybe Mark would react to that. He surely was able to hear him, at least he hoped so. And maybe Mark remembered how he looked like.

From what Jack could see from Mark's face, mostly hidden by his arms, there were tears streaming down his face, but he seemed to look around. Like he was trying to find where Jack was.  
"'m right 'ere Mark. Right in front of ya", Jack laid his other hand on Mark's other knee, looking him as good as he could into the eyes. Through the tears, Jack could swear he didn't see so much cloudiness.  
"Ya need ta look straight ahead. I won't leave ya. I'ma stay right 'ere with ya", Jack tried to smile at Mark, but it was shaky. He knew he was more or less lying to him, but he couldn't help it. At least he could see Mark's eyes finding him, and he was looking straight at him.  
"Can ya give me yer hands? C'mon Mark, ya can do that", Jack asked, encouraging his friend with a little smile. Mark didn't let go though, his nails still digging deeply into his wrist. Only his hold onto his hair got a little more loose.

"J-jack..?", Mark's voice was quiet, barely above a whisper. But Jack heard him, and he smiled at Mark, nodding.  
"'m 'ere. It's me, Jackaboy. An' 'm fine, like ye are", Jack confirmed. He lifted one hand from Mark's knee, offering it for Mark to take. He really hoped that Mark would stop hurting himself, he could imagine that Mark didn't even realize what he did. That scared Jack incredibly much, that Mark may not even know that he is hurting himself.  
"C'mon Mark... ya can trust me, right? Yeah! Grab my hand, an' we can... I dunno, cuddle?", Jack tried again. He reached for Mark's hands, the brown eyes never leaving him. He gently grabbed Mark's arm, the one he was using to hurt himself with, and gently pried it away from his arm. He was able to do so, very carefully, so he used his second hand to grab Mark's other arm as well.

Jack held Mark's arms, looking at the wound he had caused himself. Mark's wrist was almost ripped open, though it looked worse than it was -hopefully at least. His wrist was full of blood, smeared over it. It was still bleeding as well, which concerned Jack. Looking back up at Mark, he could see fresh tears gathered in his eyes, but he was still looking at Jack.  
"J-jack..", Mark chocked out once more, his tone almost pleading. Jack let go of his arms, and instead carefully pulled him closer, towards his chest. He let Mark rest against him, in a way his hurt arm wasn't against Jack. Felix was probably still in the door, ready to come inside to help.  
"It's a'right Mark. Fe will take care of yer arm an' then everything's a'right again", Jack told Mark softly, cradling Mark against himself. Felix took that as his cue and entered the room, he had a medical kit with him to take care of Mark's wounds. He kneeled down next to the two, greeting Mark softly so that he knew he was there, before carefully taking his hurt arm.

"I'm- I'm scared...", Mark muttered quietly, almost too quiet for Jack to hear. But he was focused solely on Mark, looking down at him. One arm holding Mark close to himself, while the other hand was gently running through Mark's hair. Hearing Mark speak more startled Jack a little, but he didn't show it. Instead, he stayed calm.  
"What's scarin' ye?", Jack asked softly. Maybe now he would get to know more about what was keeping Mark here. And Felix was here too, listening too, so Jack could focus purely on Mark.  
"I don't- I... I don't.. want to leave... you... this.. every- everything", Mark answered, clearly having problems talking. Not only because his voice was hoarse and scratchy from disuse, but he seemed to struggle getting words out in general.  
"Ya don't have ta leave Mark. Ya can stay with me an' Fel and Marzia", Jack replied. What Mark was saying worried Jack though. It sounded like Mark wasn't usually with them, which honestly it seemed like he really wasn't.  
"I'm- I'm too weak... I can't-.... It's- I'm... I don't want to leave", Mark clung to Jack, barely giving Felix enough time to finish his bandaging. Mark buried his head in Jack's chest, starting to sob. His whole body shook and he was shaking his head, muttering quietly that he didn't want to leave.

Jack looked up to Felix, while still petting Mark's hair, and holding him close. Jack was confused, and he was scared. He didn't know what was wrong with Mark, and how to help him. It scared him immensely. Felix looked just as confused and worried as Jack, shrugging lightly.  
"I'll talk with Dr Barnes", Felix said quietly, Jack nodding in response. The nurse left the room then, leaving Jack and Mark alone. The latter had fallen quiet, but he was still clinging to Jack. He didn't mind, instead just rocking them both gently back and forth. Mark seemed calm now, and maybe he would even fall asleep again. He just hoped that Mark would be alright.  
"I'll stay with ya Mark. Yer important ta me. I won't leave ya", Jack muttered quietly, leaning his head onto Mark's. He would stay as long as he could with Mark and help him get better.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I have not written anything for chapter 10 yet  
> Or well, I have a little bit, but I don't really like it.  
> SO! I'm probably gonna make it Mark's POV, but I wanted to ask you something. Or maybe rather tell? And apologize  
> First of I'm sorry I wasn't able to use the OCs as much and not any of the new ones. Maybe I can add them in the next chapter a little? I dunno, but I wanted to say sorry anyways, since I dunno if I can and will. I appreciate every OC though, they're all great! And thank you for sending them!  
> And yeah, also, I think I'm gonna wrap the story up soon. So there won't be that many more chapters. I don't want to get burned out and there isn't that much anyways that I could write. So it's gonna be at least 2 more chapters, but I dunno if there will be more than that.
> 
> I also don't like the start of the chapter, but I had re-written that five times at least and just gave up on it, so it is what it is. I like the rest of the chapter more though!  
> I really had wanted to make a dramatic endnote with just one sentence, but this was more important xD  
> Get the one sentence anyways:  
> But Jack is going to leave Mark behind....


	10. A mess of memories

_He wasn't allowed to look at the TV if it was showing static anymore. He still sat in front of it, cross-legged on the couch, but usually the TV was turned off or showing some cartoon or another TV show. The new medication had helped him feel better. It made the static quieter, and made the other voices more clear. He could tell who Marzia was and who Felix was. He could place the names to voices and to different feelings of warmth. He could even tell small details about their appearance._  
_Talking with Jack helped him a lot as well. His friend was incredibly supportive of him, he was always there for him. He was proud of him when Mark managed to focus on something or someone. He encouraged him to talk when they were together and focusing on each other._

_Someone took his hand. He could place the warm feeling, it was familiar to him. It was his favorite feeling, the warm and energetic feeling radiating off of it. It was Jack's. He could tell that from any form of touches from his friend. He gripped the hand back, holding his own. He could hear the muffled voice of Jack, but he couldn't tell what he was saying._  
_Another hand grabbed his. The second warmth was also familiar to Mark, the feeling coming off of it a gentle and caring one, but also powerful. He heard the voice belonging to it, but he couldn't quite place it. He was used to that person talking to him sometimes, holding his hand sometimes. It was a nice person, a nurse if he knew._  
_After a few minutes of listening, though he couldn't really tell how much time really passed, he gripped back. The voice stuttered, before Mark heard Jack again. Though his tone was still muffled, he heard the change of tone. He was praising Mark, the words warm and bright. Happy._  
_The second voice, Mark wasn't sure of the name, was suddenly loud. But that wasn't what caught his attention. His attention was caught by a cheerful sound, echoing all around him, engulfing him in a warm blanket. It was from Jack, he could tell. His gaze fell upon him, his focus grabbing the image of a happily laughing Jack._

_There was a girl sitting next to him. Her voice was loud, carrying a cheerful tune with it. He didn't try to focus on the girl, he wasn't fond of her. Her voice sounded warm, but it didn't feel warm. Not to him. The static tried to be louder than her, other voices whispering in his ear, but so close that it was nearly louder than the real voice._  
_Or maybe what he thought was real wasn't. He had only been able to focus once, when dinner was served. Felix had come to get him, and when he had focused on him, for the split second he had seen the soft blue-ish grey eyes, he had seen the girl walk away. He only noticed her hair, the purple mess atop her head, before he fell back. Guided only by the familiar hand of Felix._

_He was curled up in the corner of the room. It had been a long time since he last had felt Jack's warmth. He was gone. Mark couldn't tell for how long, neither could he tell since when he could focus on voices rather than feelings. Sometimes there were other noises. Right now, he could hear something. Someone else was here as well, a little away from him. He tried focusing on the sound, trying to ignore the static. He could feel the ground beneath him, it anchored him to reality._  
_Crayons. He spotted the colorful splotches of crayons in the kid's hands. He was organizing them, in a box. He's quiet, and Mark can't make anything out about him but his dark hair._  
_They sit together in silence, neither focusing in on each other. The sounds of the crayons being re-organized again and again grounded Mark._

_He needed to get out._ He needed to get OUT! _He was trapped, he felt like he was suffocating. Pulling at his hair, his breath was short and quick. He was panicking, he knew he was. He **couldn't get out**. He was terrified, and he didn't know where he was, or even what he was. There was just static, pressing into his ears, hurting his ear drums. It was a heavy weight on his chest, making it hard to breathe._  
_His nails were digging into his skin, breaking through. He could feel the blood gathering under his nails, but the pain grounded him. It gave him a sense of self, telling him he was real. He was human, at least somewhat, he could feel pain and could bleed._  
_There was a voice, he thought at least. Its warmth barely reached him, he couldn't tell what it was saying, he couldn't even tell who that was speaking. It tried to reach out to him, but in response he flinched away, his nails dragging downwards a little. Drawing more blood, deepening the wound._

_Then there was another voice. It felt warmer, but it was far away. It was so muffled, that Mark had no idea who was there. Then there was another touch. Mark flinched again, his nails digging deeper into his skin once more. He felt the fresh wave of pain, the voice a little less muffled now. He knew it was familiar, he liked it. He knew he did. It was a good voice, it was warm and caring. He craved it, the safety it radiated._  
_He tried to focus on it. He tried to see where it was, he wanted to know there was a person there he could trust, someone that cared and liked him. But he couldn't find it, and he started to panic again. But then there was another touch. They were close to each other, and he could hear the voice better. It was Jack, he could tell._  
_His eyes found his, the brilliant blue dragging him in. He could see them, he could see the green hair. It calmed him, knowing Jack was there. He felt safer, hearing Jack speak, even though he still couldn't understand. But he felt safer, more than before._

"J-jack...?", _Mark chocked out, voice quiet. He saw Jack smile at him, speaking more. He could hear him say his own name, a nickname like usual. He felt a touch leave him, which scared him. He didn't want Jack to leave! He couldn't! He needed him!_  
_Jack grabbed his arm gently, pulling it away. The touch calmed him, and he let him. Mark could see the emotions on Jack's face, it was so sad. It made him feel bad._  
"J-jack..", _he was pulled against Jack, and he melted into the warmth. It calmed him down, and helped him. He felt safe in Jack's arms. He felt safe enough to talk to Jack, to tell him. He was sure he could, Jack always made him feel safe, always was warm and gentle and caring.  
_ "I'm- I'm scared...", _Mark spoke, and he could feel how Jack was surprised by it. He could hear Jack's worth more clearly than before, hear the question what exactly was scaring Mark. But he couldn't tell. He_ _ **didn't know**_ _. And that terrified him, the only thing keeping him grounded being Jack._

"I don't- I... I don't.. want to leave... you... this.. every- everything", _Mark was able to say, having to almost force the words out. The static was restless, it was grabbing at him, trying to get him out of the warm embrace of Jack. He tried to fight it, but he was so weak. He didn't hear Jack speak, he didn't even notice it._  
"I'm- I'm too weak... I can't-.... It's- I'm... I don't want to leave", _Mark repeated it over and over again, clinging to Jack until he could feel a different kind of darkness pull at him. Exhaustion was taking over his mind, and he let it take him away, to drift into the calm silence of sleep._

_He felt lonely. He hadn't heard Jack's voice in so long. He was starting to get a sense of time, slowly but surely. He could tell time was passing, or time had passed, most of the time. He could tell Jack hadn't been here in a long time. He found himself floating less and less, the static always in the back of his mind, whispering, pulling, but not keeping him. Sometimes, when it got bad, he found himself lost in the white void. Sometimes, when he had good days, he could exchange words with Felix, or Marzia. Rarely with anyone else, besides greetings._  
_He was sitting on the couch, leaning against the armrest, knees close to his chest. A young woman approached him, and he took in her appearance. He had seen her before, in passing, but never spoke to her._  
_"Hi" she said, eyeing Mark. "Hello" he greeted back. They fell into silence then, Mark starting to loose focus on her and stare through her, while she seemed to think._  
_"Warm brown. Like chocolate", she said, and Mark looked at her again. She nodded to herself, seemingly content with what she came up with, before leaving again. Mark didn't mind, lulling the words over in his head. A warm brown. He heard his eyes were brown, he didn't remember the last time he had seen them himself._

_He was lead by the hand. He felt like he was floating, his feet not quite touching the ground. He didn't know where they were going. He knew this warmth, this voice, though. It was Felix. He trusted Felix, wherever they were going would be okay. He never felt safe anymore, not since the last time he had been engulfed in Jack's warmth. How long was that ago? Had any time passed at all? He couldn't remember, he didn't have a sense of time at all. Maybe it had just been a few hours? Maybe it had been weeks?_  
_He barely noticed being sat down, that his hand was released. He let the static fill his ears with whispers, let his being float in the void again. Maybe he could fall into the sea of white, maybe he could. Maybe it would help him, make him feel better. But had it ever? He couldn't remember._  
_Suddenly, there was a voice. It was warm. Concerned. But still held the same energy it always did, the same familiarity. It was Jack's voice. It got close to him, and he was engulfed by it._  
_He embraced it, he embraced Mark, holding tightly onto his friend. He felt like he hadn't felt this warmth in forever, and for all he knew, it could've been for forever._

_There were words. Mark tried to focus on them, but they were muffled. But he could focus on Jack's voice. He could focus on his warmth. He could focus on the two blue blurry spots, until they were as clear as day. He could drown in them, he felt safe whenever he was close to them. Whenever Jack was with him, he felt almost normal again._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I did add the other OCs, though their appearances were short and mostly hazy  
> I hope everyone found their OC though! I think I only didn't mention one or two, and the two that had been in the first chapters.  
> So yeah, if you can make sense of Mark's jumbled mind, you know what happened hm.  
> If not then I'll tell you here:  
> Jack is gone. In the point of time latest of Mark's memories, Jack has left the asylum and Mark is on different meds, he is more grounded to reality and able to focus better on the people and things around him. It's still not easy for people he doesn't know well, but he gets there.
> 
> I do not have another chapter currently, and yeah. I'll try to write something soon, so that I can update in sunday, but finals start monday and I need to study a lot, so. I dunno. Be patient?


	11. A new life begins

Jack didn't want to leave. Mark wasn't all that better, not as far as he could tell. They had changed Mark's medication, and it helped Mark apparently, but it wasn't obviously better. Jack couldn't tell how much better Mark was getting, as he couldn't see inside of his head.  
And now he had to leave. He didn't want to, he wanted to stay with Mark and make sure that he would be okay. That he would get better. But he had to trust Marzia and Felix to take care of Mark, that they would make sure that he would continue to show reactions, that he would hopefully start talking again.

But he had to leave today. Jack walked over to Mark, sitting on the couch. Jack had made sure that the TV was mostly turned off, or showing cartoons, feeling like the static was bad for Mark.  
"Hey Mark.", he greeted and sat down next to Mark. He gently took his hand. "It's me, Jackaroony.". He felt Mark hold his hand, making him smile lightly.  
"I'm going ta leave today. 'm sorry I can't help ya anymore right now. But I promise ta come back an' visit ya.", Jack spoke, never knowing if Mark actually listened to him or not. If he heard what he was saying or not. But it never stopped Jack from talking to Mark like he really listened.

Jack was quiet for a while, before he hugged Mark, pulling him close against himself. He buried his face into Mark's shoulder, holding him tightly. He could feel Mark's head laying against his own.  
"I'm going ta miss ya. Please get better, will ya?", Jack murmured, nuzzling his face against Mark. He hoped when he came back to visit Mark would be better.  
He stayed like this for a while longer, before he let go of Mark. He smiled at him, even though he was rather sure Mark didn't see it. Wasn't aware of what he saw.

And then he left. Left the asylum, left go get back into a more normal life.   
His family helped him a lot. Get back together, live among other people again. Jack was still energetic and loud, animated while talking, but that was just who he was. He started making videos, playing games, to get all of his extra energy out, while having a normal day job. He thought about Mark almost every day, wondering how he was doing, if he was doing better.

Finally, Jack could visit Mark. He was excited, he was nervous. He wanted to know how Mark was doing, though he didn't want to know if he hasn't gotten any better. But now he was here, waiting for Mark to be brought here.  
Finally, Marzia came. She smiled at Jack, and the two greeted each other with warm smiles. She let him to the next room, where Mark was sitting. Jack walked over to him, worry filling him. He looked as expressionless as he remembered, and it worried him.

"Mark.", Jack hugged Mark, holding him close to himself. He had missed him so badly, had worried so much. He was so glad to see Mark again though, even if he wasn't any better.  
"I've missed ya so much.", Jack said and leaned back again, pulling a chair close to sit down in front of Mark. "'m sorry I hadn't been able ta visit ya earlier. My life's been good, though. My family helped me get back into normal life an' I got a job now. 'm still as energetic as always though!", Jack continued telling Mark about his life, how the outside world was like, and how he had missed Mark.

When Jack noticed how Mark looked at him - _really looked at him_ \- he smiled brightly. He was glad to see Mark's eyes focused, see them clearly, unclouded. So Jack continued talking to Mark, smiling brightly and telling him about everything he could think of, rambling on and on like he had used to in the past.  
But some time he ran out of things to say, and he fiddled with his fingers. What else could he do? He didn't know, he wasn't sure. He wanted to help Mark, but how was he supposed to do that?

That was when Marzia came in, and told Jack that it was time for lunch, and she had to take Mark. He hummed and nodded, hugging Mark before helping him to his feet, smiling lightly.  
"Time fer food, Mark! I'll see ya again another time, I promise. I don' wanna let ya wait fer me again fer long.", Jack handed Mark over to Marzia, who smiled lightly, maybe a little sadly even, before leading Mark away.

When Jack left the room, he was met with Felix. the two of them walked together and sat down somewhere, just to talk.  
"How's Mark been?", Jack asked, twirling his thumbs. He could tell Mark hadn't gotten worse, which was good, but he didn't seem to have gotten better, not much at least.  
"He's responsive to me and Marzia, somewhat. Holding hands, and easy to get up and walk around with.", Felix responded. "But nothing much else, as far as I've noticed.".  
Jack nodded lightly, gaze on the ground. He knew he couldn't help Mark, and he couldn't visit him every day, even if he really wanted to.

"How's the..", Jack motioned with his hand, searching for the fitting word. "Cloudiness? Ya know, how cloudy his eyes seem? Unfocused an' all tha'?".  
"I think it's a little better. I feel like he looks more at me and Marzia when we're talking with him, But I'm not sure.", Felix shrugged lightly. He never was good at seeing the change in Mark's eyes like jack was able to.  
"Mh.", Jack nodded lightly. He could tell that it was getting easier for Mark to focus on looking at someone, which was really good. At least, it was much better than if not.

"I'll try ta visit a lot. I really worry 'bout him, an' ya know. Care 'bout him.", Jack said and smiled lightly, a little sadly even. He really cared for Mark a lot, and he hoped he'd get better again. He worried immensely, every day, every time he had nothing else on his mind, there was Mark.  
"How about we two keep in touch?", Felix asked with a smile, pulling out his phone. "I can tell you about Mark's process when you can't come, or something big happened.  
"That'd be great!", Jack exclaimed with a bright smile and nodded, and the two of them exchanged numbers. At least that would give Jack a little peace of mind.

The two of them talked for a while longer then, before Felix had to get back to work, and Jack had to get home. He kept Mark in his mind, hoping he'd get better. He was worried, and he really wanted him to get better. He would try and visit as much as he could, whenever he had time and wasn't too exhausted from work.  
He smiled lightly, a sad small smile, as he thought about how he had no clue how long it would take for Mark to get better. It could take years for all he knew. He just hoped it wouldn't.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is anyone still here? Hello? ^^;
> 
> A new chapter! WHOAH  
> So uhm. yeah.  
> I was gone for months, being on tumblr roleplaying.  
> Today I looked on here again, and read through 22 comments I had on different things and... read fics of mine.  
> I read this fic! And wanted more. So I made more!  
> I really want to finish this, I really do. I love this story immensely and I hope you can forgive me for not writing for so long orz
> 
> Anyways, I've been good, I have an apprenticeship now and learning cook! So yeah, my life's pretty okay.  
> I hope no one hates me for never writing anything any more :'D  
> I'll try and write more for this though, and then look at the other fics still waiting for me!


	12. Back again

_He was drowning. He couldn't breathe, white static filling his lungs with every breath he took, choking out whenever he tried to breathe out. It was suffocating, it was painful, and he struggled against it with all his might. But it held him, restrained him, wrapped around his limbs. Wrapped around his throat, cutting off his way of breathing. Forcing its way down his throat and filling it like lead.  
Tears ran down his cheeks, burning hot, leaving his skin red, but once they were gone, it felt freezing cold. His skin was clammy, clothes sticking to him, hair stuck to his forehead. He wanted to get out, get out, get OUT!_

_There was warmth, and voices, but the static was so loud. It was screaming in his ears, it was drowning out everything else. And it hurt, it hurt his ears, his head. Everything was hurting, and he wanted it to stop. He wanted that warmth, he wanted those voices to be close. He wanted to reach out, but he couldn't, the static was holding him far too tightly. And he trashed, he screamed, he sobbed, and he tried to get out, but nothing helped.  
He was dragged down further and further, away from the warm voices, away from help. But he wanted it, he needed it, and he wanted to concentrate on that warmth and those voices. He was so close to giving up, he was so close to letting himself drown. To let the static win._

_But he remembered, he remembered that one warmth, that one voice. Those crystal clear, blue eyes. Jack. He remembered Jack, and he never wanted to disappoint him. He wanted him, he wanted to be with him, he was safe, **his** safety, and he hoped that he would find that warmth again, that safety again. But he was gone, he wasn't here, and it made him sob louder, trash harder, wanting to break free from these bounds. And it hurt, it dug into his skin, it wrapped around him tighter and harder._

_The voices faded, the warmth faded. There was pain, it surged through him, and then it all stopped. The restraints wrapped around him loosened and let go, the static quietened, and blackness overtook him. Everything fell silent, everything vanished, and he couldn't feel anymore, he couldn't think anymore, and he let it happen, because he couldn't fight it anymore._

Felix texted Jack. “Mark had a serious breakdown. We couldn't get him out of it, we needed to sedate him. You need to visit again soon.”.  
And Jack had panicked when he read it, and bombarded Felix with questions; was Mark okay, what had happened, why couldn't he be calmed down, when could he visit. He was terrified of Mark becoming _worse_ instead of better, though he had been told he had gotten better, no? He was so scared, and he needed to get back, visit Mark, make sure he was alright. He'd come as soon as possible, but he was stuck in another country at the moment. He would hurry back as fast as possible.

_It was quiet. The static was a buzz in the back of his head, wrapped around his neck like a scarf. He could see the TV, he could see the cartoons playing. He couldn't really hear it, but he could hear the voices around him.  
There was the girl, older now. Or had she always been that age? She was a pleasant warmth, but her voice was always so quiet. He appreciated her being here with him though, because when she felt good, she had the same energy like Jack had. Voice loud, warm, energetic. But so often, she was quiet and cold, sad, and then he wrapped an arm around her, and she leaned against him, and it was like he leaned against Jack._

_He appreciated it, when the static was quiet. When it was a cold, tingling scarf around his neck. He appreciated the warmth and voices he knew were Marzia and Felix. He could hear them, most of the time. He could hear them speak, and talk to him. Sometimes, he managed to talk back. Answer. Reply. He struggled still, with words. But he was getting better, slowly.  
He remembered Jack, still. His warmth, his voice. How full of energy he was. He rarely saw him, but whenever he did, he felt a lot better. He loved Jack. He loved his warmth, and his energy, and his voice. His blue eyes, his caring nature. It was the best thing he could remember, and he didn't want to remember anything bad about Jack, or anything related to him._

Jack was anxious to get back to Mark. He had made new friends, he was known and loved by so many people already. He had never imagined that could happen -what had started out as a hobby, had quickly became his job. And he loved it with all of his heart.  
He had kept his past somewhat secret. Not going out and about saying he had had mental issues in the past, that he had been in an asylum before. He had talked about Mark a little, his dearest friend, and how he wasn't okay and had problems, so he worried a lot about him.

So when he cut his trip short, he explained it was because something had happened with Mark, and he needed to go to him. He hadn't seen him in forever, and he was desperate to see him again, talk to him. He hoped Mark was better, at least a little. He could still remember how unresponsive he had been, how he hadn't reacted to anything. How hard it had been to get him to even look at him, to stand up and get food. He hoped Mark would be better once he was back to see him again.

_He's sitting at a table. He didn't remember why, or how, but here he was. He could hear the TV playing, though not static. Not the static that filled his ears, wrapped around his vocal chords. He could barely register he was sitting at a table in the first place. But he could feel the crayon in his hand, he could see the paper and he could feel how he was drawing._  
_He could feel other people where there as well. He could hear someone else drawing. Feeling cold, and quiet. But that was okay. He was also quiet, just moving his hand across the paper._  
 _And there was another person there too. He could hear it. Crayons being put into and out of a box. They were probably sitting near a corner. He didn't like being in the middle of the room. The static was so much bigger and thicker away from the walls, inside of the room._

_He doesn't know what he's drawing. He's just moving his hand this way and that, however he felt like it was right. There was no right or wrong when drawing, was there? He doubted it. The static was full, it was in his ears and his lungs, but he could breathe, and he could hear, and he was alive. He was somewhere, he was in a room, and there were people around him. He knew that, and it helped, because he wasn't floating in the white frizzling void. He was sitting on a chair, at a table, and he was holding a crayon in his hand.  
There was no drowning, no floating today, and he was happy about it. Because he didn't feel like he was alone, because he could feel and see the warmths and voices instead of having to guess if they were real or not._

Jack fiddled with his fingers and with his phone during the whole flight. He was scared, he wanted to get to Mark, he wanted to make sure he was okay. He texted Felix -it had been a day or two since Mark had had his breakdown. Mark seemed to be prone to get more breakdowns, he seemed more lost and confused than usually. It scared Jack, and he was incredibly nervous. He hoped he could help figure out what was wrong with Mark.

He looked out the window, chewing on his lip, tugging on his earlobes. He was talking to himself, rambling quietly, glad he was sitting alone. It always happened when he was nervous, something he couldn't change from the past. He was so scared, and so desperate to see Mark again. He wanted to see him, to hold him again.

_He was floating. Even if his eyes were closed, he could see the static. Maybe his eyes weren't even closed. Static was all around him, engulfing him. It was familiar, holding him and rocking him. He didn't know what time it was, what day it was. He was in mid-air, inside of water, falling from the sky, buried beneath the earth.  
He couldn't breathe, his lungs were filled with water -with static. He was wheezing, breathing whistling. He couldn't help it, it was how it always had been -or maybe it hadn't always been like that. His head was swimming, memories jumbled, and he could remember things he didn't know when they had happened. He was lost, and he wanted to be found, but he wasn't sure if anyone was able to. He remembered something though. A warmth that had left him, that was so warm that he craved it like his lungs craved air. A voice that was so soft, but full of energy, that he never wanted to hear anything else._

_He missed it. How long had it been since he had last heard it, had last felt it? A day? An hour? A month? More or less? He didn't know, time meant nothing to him. He couldn't hear, he couldn't feel. Everything was swimming, was floating, was falling and was buried underground._

_He could feel a warmth. He could feel how familiar it was, and there was a soft and kind voice with it. He reached out to it, he wanted to hold onto it, but it was hard. He wanted to be with the warmth, he wanted to be with the voice. So he held onto it, and he felt it, the skin of the voice, the fingers intertwining with his. And it was nice, he let the voice pull him along and followed it._

Jack was almost there. Mark hadn't had another breakdown, but he was crying a lot. Felix kept him updated. And he was scared, he wanted to make sure Mark was alright, but he couldn't, because he wasn't there. But he would be, soon. He texted Felix, that he'd be there in a few hours. Felix would make sure Mark would be ready to meet Jack, that nothing else would be scheduled for him.

He got more nervous the closer he got to the building. He was anxious, and scared, and nervous. But he was also so glad to see Mark again, he was so excited to see him again, it was a storm inside his head and heart. There were too many feelings, and he wasn't sure what to feel. He just knew he wanted to see Mark again, and to help get him to feel better.

_He was sitting there, on a couch. He could feel how soft it was. Memories of Jack and him sitting here surfaced, and he smiled a little, sad. He missed him. He hadn't seen him for so long. The smile vanished, leaving him neutral again, and he hoped that Jack would still care for him. About him. He hadn't felt his warmth in so long. He hadn't heard his voice in so long. He wondered if he even remembered the feeling and voice correctly, or if he was just dreaming. He could be. He hoped he wasn't, though, because he needed Jack like a fish needs water._

_There was someone talking. He couldn't focus on the voice at first. But it was warm, and charming, and funny. It was Felix, he could tell, feeling how the man took his hand. And he looked at him, and he saw his blue and grey eyes, and he saw how he smiled at him. He wondered why he was smiling, and it helped him hear what he was saying._  
_Jack was coming._  
 _Jack was coming to see him, and talk to him, and Mark struggled. Because he wanted to meet him, but he wanted to get out of the static too. He wanted to be able to meet him, to see him, to talk to him. But if he struggled, he would just get tangled more in the static. So he stayed neutral, how he was the whole time, but he kept his gaze on Felix's eyes._

_He let him pull him to his feet, and he followed him along. He could see Felix, he could see his blonde hair, and he followed it wherever they were going. Because they were going to meet Jack, and he wanted to meet Jack again, and feel his warmth, hear his voice, feel his touch. He hadn't in so long, he was so sure of it._

_And when they entered the room, he could see it. He could see the green hair on top of Jack's hair, he could see the crystal blue of his eyes, and he could see the pale skin and scruffy beard. He could see him clearly, with no static over him, and he let go of Felix and threw himself at Jack, enveloping him in his arms, and he sobbed.  
He had missed Jack so much, he had missed the gentle warm touch. He had missed Jack's strong warm arms around him, the soft whispered words of reassurance. And the static was **quiet** , it was gone while he was with Jack, in his arms. Feeling his warmth, and hearing his voice._

Jack waited in the room, where he had been a few times before. Waiting for Felix to bring Mark to him. He was anxious, nervous, and he had missed his friend so incredibly much. He hoped everything was okay, and would be okay. He was thinking far too much about it, fiddling with his fingers and shirt, waiting for Felix to come back. Waiting to see Mark again.

When the door opened, he turned to look, seeing Felix, and then seeing Mark. Seeing his brown eyes focused on him, seeing the black scruff adorning his jaw, his dark hair and the faded red hair hanging in his face.  
He couldn't focus on it for too long, because suddenly Mark tackled him into a hug, and he held so tightly onto Jack, and he was- he was sobbing. So Jack wrapped his arms around Mark and held him tightly, and he whispered softly into his ear, reassuring Mark. He was here, truly. He was here, and he wouldn't leave him alone for so long again.

He held him until Mark was done sobbing, and sat down with him on the ground. He held both of Mark's hands, and he was smiling at him, and he could see how Mark was looking at him. That he was really seeing him, that he was really here with him.  
“Heya Markimoo.”, Jack finally greeted Mark, smiling and squeezing his hands. “Fe told me tha' yer not so good righ' now. Bu' that's fine, 'cus now I'm here ta help ya out again. I care 'bout ya, Markle Sparkle.”.  
He could see Mark's eyes shimmering with fresh tears, how he clung to his hands. But it didn't worry him, instead, he was glad. Mark was here, Mark was alive, and he was **here**. So Jack pulled him back into his arms, and ran his hands through his hair.

“I'm here. Yer here. Everything's a'right, a'right? Jackaroony is here.”, he said softly, swaying with Mark. And the other nodded against him, clinging to Jack's chest. Taking deep breaths, letting Jack's heartbeat calm him down.  
“Jack..”, his voice was quiet, but Jack heard it. And he hummed softly, nuzzling against Mark's hair.  
“'m here. Yer here.”, Jack replied softly. He was so glad to hear Mark's voice again. To be with him, to hear him, and hold him again.  
“I- I m-missed- you..”, Mark muttered, trying not to sob, holding onto Jack. He had clearly missed him so much, and Jack felt so incredibly bad to have left Mark alone for so long.

“Do ya feel up fer talkin'?”, Jack asked softly. He continued rocking Mark, petting his hair. He wanted him to be okay, and he wanted to try and help Mark, and talk with him.  
“M-mhhm..”, Mark nodded lightly. He would try, because there was nothing else he could do but try.  
“Can ya tell me how ye were feelin' the last time?”, Jack asked softly. Mark nodded lightly, but couldn't form the words he needed at the moment. “I's a'right. Take yer time.”.  
Mark needed a few minutes, calming his feelings, the tears that had once again threatened to fall. He thought about what to say, how to say it, and how to form words in the first place.  
“I.. I'm.. I'm trapped..”, Mark mumbled. He was here, in the now, and it was hard to keep being here and not vanish back in his head. But he clung to Jack, and focused on his touches, and it helped.  
“I'm drowning... suffocating.. it's- it's... so hard... to focus..”, he continued, and Jack hummed softly to let him know he listened, that he was here.  
“You're warm... and.. your voice... I need you... I.. I drown in.. in static. Nothing... not much.. gets through... but.. but you. You.. you do.”.

Jack was surprised to hear what Mark was saying. But it explained so much, and he was so glad Mark had managed to speak to him. It helped him so much to know what was going on with Mark.  
Trapped in his own head. Unable to focus on anything, because his head was full of static. But he, apparently, got through that. His voice and his touches got through that static and to Mark. It amazed Jack, but he was so incredibly happy that he was here and well enough to tell him.  
“I'm 'ere now. I'll help ya. I'll be with ya a lot more than I've been. I care a lot 'bout ya, Marki.”, he said softly, and he wanted nothing but for Mark to get better. He'd visit him a lot more, and he'd make sure that Mark would get better.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyy  
> So I haven't written anything in like, a year for this, and I'm really sorry!  
> But, as you can see, I STILL want to finish this! And we're getting close to the end!  
> I hope this chapter was understandable and not too confusing. I wanted to have a string of the here and now with what happens with Jack, and mixed in memories of Mark, which are picked randomly from throughout him being in the asylum.  
> If you got any questions about anything, then please ask!  
> I haven't been here in so long, I read through the whole story more or less to see what was going on and all, so I hope this still fits in and stuff :'D  
> I'd be glad for feedback, if anyone is still here to read this :')  
> So thanks for reading!!!! :D

**Author's Note:**

> I appreciate all the OCs, but I'm not sure if and how I can add them anymore, since the story is pretty focused on Mark and Jack now!  
> Even though I love them all, I can't promise that I can use them again or at all, I'm deeply sorry!  
> They're all very lovely! <3


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